How do chloramines affect kidney dialysis patients?
Although it is safe for dialysis patients to drink chloraminated water, it is obviously not safe to have it directly enter their bloodstream. In the dialysis process, water comes in contact with the blood across a permeable membrane. Like chlorine, chloramines are toxic in dialysis water. Chlorine and chloramines must be removed from the water used in kidney dialysis machines. Medical centers that perform dialysis are responsible for purifying the water that enters the dialysis machines. Hemodialysis patients who receive treatment at home should check with their physicians for the appropriate type of water treatment.
