The chlorine reacts with food scraps. 24 Ceramic disks, used instead of detergents, totally avoid the problem and are said to be about 75% less costly than detergent. 25,26,27. Chlorine in treated water can also cause allergic symptoms ranging from skin rash to intestinal symptoms to arthritis, and headaches. 47. Recent research has found a new hazard in chlorinated water: a byproduct called MX.