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Environmental Research Jul 2022Pollution of water sources, largely from wide-scale agricultural fertilizer use has resulted in nitrate and nitrite contamination of drinking water. The effects on human... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Pollution of water sources, largely from wide-scale agricultural fertilizer use has resulted in nitrate and nitrite contamination of drinking water. The effects on human health of raised nitrate and nitrite levels in drinking water are currently unclear.
OBJECTIVES
We conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature on the association of nitrate and nitrite in drinking water with human health with a specific focus on cancer.
METHODS
We searched eight databases from 1 January 1990 until 28 February 2021. Meta-analyses were conducted when studies had the same exposure metric and outcome.
RESULTS
Of 9835 studies identified in the literature search, we found 111 studies reporting health outcomes, 60 of which reported cancer outcomes (38 case-control studies; 12 cohort studies; 10 other study designs). Most studies were set in the USA (24), Europe (20) and Taiwan (14), with only 3 studies from low and middle-income countries. Nitrate exposure in water (59 studies) was more commonly investigated than nitrite exposure (4 studies). Colorectal (15 studies) and gastric (13 studies) cancers were the most reported. In meta-analyses (4 studies) we identified a positive association of nitrate exposure with gastric cancer, OR = 1.91 (95%CI = 1.09-3.33) per 10 mg/L increment in nitrate ion. We found no association of nitrate exposure with colorectal cancer (10 studies; OR = 1.02 [95%CI = 0.96-1.08]) or cancers at any other site.
CONCLUSIONS
We identified an association of nitrate in drinking water with gastric cancer but with no other cancer site. There is currently a paucity of robust studies from settings with high levels nitrate pollution in drinking water. Research into this area will be valuable to ascertain the true health burden of nitrate contamination of water and the need for public policies to protect human health.
Topics: Drinking Water; Humans; Nitrates; Nitrites; Nitrogen Oxides; Stomach Neoplasms
PubMed: 35217009
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.112988 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jan 2021The ubiquitous problem of pesticide in aquatic environment are receiving worldwide concern as pesticide tends to accumulate in the body of the aquatic organism and... (Review)
Review
The ubiquitous problem of pesticide in aquatic environment are receiving worldwide concern as pesticide tends to accumulate in the body of the aquatic organism and sediment soil, posing health risks to the human. Many pesticide formulations had introduced due to the rapid growth in the global pesticide market result from the wide use of pesticides in agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. The occurrence of pesticides in the water body is derived by the runoff from the agricultural field and industrial wastewater. Soluble pesticides were carried away by water molecules especially during the precipitation event by percolating downward into the soil layers and eventually reach surface waters and groundwater. Consequently, it degrades water quality and reduces the supply of clean water for potable water. Long-time exposure to the low concentration of pesticides had resulted in non-carcinogenic health risks. The conventional method of pesticide treatment processes encompasses coagulation-flocculation, adsorption, filtration and sedimentation, which rely on the phase transfer of pollutants. Those methods are often incurred with a relatively high operational cost and may cause secondary pollution such as sludge formation. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are recognized as clean technologies for the treatment of water containing recalcitrant and bio-refractory pollutants such as pesticides. It has been adopted as recent water purification technology because of the thermodynamic viability and broad spectrum of applicability. This work provides a comprehensive review for occurrence of pesticide in the drinking water and its possible treatment.
Topics: Agriculture; Drinking Water; Environmental Monitoring; Groundwater; Humans; Pesticides; Water Pollutants, Chemical
PubMed: 33430077
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18020468 -
International Maritime Health 2020Ships are supplied with water from various sources: directly from the public utility system at the port, from water supply vessels or barges, bottled water, ice or, if... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Ships are supplied with water from various sources: directly from the public utility system at the port, from water supply vessels or barges, bottled water, ice or, if water production on board is possible,through processes such as desalination and reverse osmosis. All elements of a ship's water supply chain are exposed to the influence of different factors that may have a negative impact on water safety on board or on human health. Potable water standards are the same for vessels and for land-based facilities. In recognition of the importance of drinking water and the impact it can have on human health, stringent quality standards have been laid down in national and global regulations. The aim of the study was to describe the water supply system on ships and its weak points, as well as the health risks that the use of npolluted drinking water can entail.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The Medline Database has been searched using the following key words: ship, water supply, waterborne infections. Other available literature has also been used, as well as national and international regulations on drinking-water safety.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
Drinking water on ships is managed in line with the hygienic and health standards applied along the entire supply chain, from the source to the point of consumption. Regardless of the sanitary control system used by the authorised institutions on the ground, ship officers must oversee the entire water supply and distribution system on board, as well the water production systems if these exist. That means that they must be well aware of all of the fundamental facts of the supervision system, as well as the weaknesses of the water supply system. Maritime studies students, future deck officers and engine officers, must all receive training on the weak points of the system and on water contamination prevention.
Topics: Drinking Water; Naval Medicine; Ships; Water Microbiology; Water Quality; Water Supply
PubMed: 32604456
DOI: 10.5603/IMH.2020.0022 -
BioMed Research International 2017Due to alarming increase in population and rapid industrialization, drinking water quality is being deteriorated day by day in Pakistan. This review sums up the outcomes... (Review)
Review
Due to alarming increase in population and rapid industrialization, drinking water quality is being deteriorated day by day in Pakistan. This review sums up the outcomes of various research studies conducted for drinking water quality status of different areas of Pakistan by taking into account the physicochemical properties of drinking water as well as the presence of various pathogenic microorganisms. About 20% of the whole population of Pakistan has access to safe drinking water. The remaining 80% of population is forced to use unsafe drinking water due to the scarcity of safe and healthy drinking water sources. The primary source of contamination is sewerage (fecal) which is extensively discharged into drinking water system supplies. Secondary source of pollution is the disposal of toxic chemicals from industrial effluents, pesticides, and fertilizers from agriculture sources into the water bodies. Anthropogenic activities cause waterborne diseases that constitute about 80% of all diseases and are responsible for 33% of deaths. This review highlights the drinking water quality, contamination sources, sanitation situation, and effects of unsafe drinking water on humans. There is immediate need to take protective measures and treatment technologies to overcome unhygienic condition of drinking water supplies in different areas of Pakistan.
Topics: Drinking Water; Environmental Monitoring; Fresh Water; Humans; Pakistan; Pesticides; Water Microbiology; Water Quality; Water Supply
PubMed: 28884130
DOI: 10.1155/2017/7908183 -
Animal : An International Journal of... May 2017Liquid feeding has the potential to provide pigs with sufficient water to remain hydrated and prevent prolonged thirst. However, lack of permanent access to fresh water... (Review)
Review
Liquid feeding has the potential to provide pigs with sufficient water to remain hydrated and prevent prolonged thirst. However, lack of permanent access to fresh water prevents animals from drinking when they are thirsty. Moreover, individual differences between pigs in a pen may result in uneven distribution of the water provided by the liquid feed, leading to some pigs being unable to meet their water requirements. In this review, we look at the need for and provision of water for liquid-fed pigs in terms of their production performance, behaviour, health and welfare. We highlight factors which may lead to water ingestion above or below requirements. Increases in the need for water may be caused by numerous factors such as morbidity, ambient temperature or competition within the social group, emphasising the necessity of permanent access to water as also prescribed in EU legislation. The drinkers can be the target of redirected behaviour in response to feed restriction or in the absence of rooting materials, thereby generating water losses. The method of water provision and drinker design is critical to ensure easy access to water regardless of the pig's physiological state, and to limit the amount of water used, which does not benefit the pig.
Topics: Animal Husbandry; Animals; Drinking Water; Sus scrofa
PubMed: 27819212
DOI: 10.1017/S1751731116002202 -
Reviews on Environmental Health Mar 2019
Topics: Climate Change; Drinking Water; Humans; Intestinal Diseases; Rain; Water Quality; Weather
PubMed: 30796848
DOI: 10.1515/reveh-2019-2001 -
Chemico-biological Interactions Mar 2019
Topics: Carcinogens; Drinking Water; Models, Biological; Publishing; Risk Assessment
PubMed: 30763553
DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2019.01.007 -
Chemosphere Dec 2020Over the last 30 years, bottled water has gained in popularity reaching high sales world-wide. Most of this water is sold in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.... (Review)
Review
Over the last 30 years, bottled water has gained in popularity reaching high sales world-wide. Most of this water is sold in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. About 15 years ago, the presence of antimony in water in those PET bottles raised concerns and studies on the subject have been regularly published since then. This review aims to evaluate whether the use of good analytical practices and the correct design of these studies support the accepted facts (i.e., PET is the origin of antimony presence in bottled waters, antimony concentrations are usually below regulated values, temperature increasing favours antimony leaching). The detailed analysis of published data has confirmed these facts but has also revealed frequency of faulty analytical practices and a lack of well-designed studies. A better understanding of the structure of PET polymer in the bottles, coupled with statistically-robust antimony release experiments, is required to progress in the field.
Topics: Antimony; Drinking Water; Food Contamination; Food Packaging; Polyethylene Terephthalates; Temperature; Time Factors; Water Pollutants, Chemical
PubMed: 32739689
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127732 -
International Journal of Environmental... Apr 2015Recently it has been estimated that the annual cost of diseases caused by the waterborne pathogens Legionella pneumonia, Mycobacterium avium, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa... (Review)
Review
Recently it has been estimated that the annual cost of diseases caused by the waterborne pathogens Legionella pneumonia, Mycobacterium avium, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa is $500 million. For the period 2001-2012, the estimated cost of hospital admissions for nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease, the majority caused by M. avium, was almost $1 billion. These three waterborne opportunistic pathogens are normal inhabitants of drinking water--not contaminants--that share a number of key characteristics that predispose them to survival, persistence, and growth in drinking water distribution systems and premise plumbing. Herein, I list and describe these shared characteristics that include: disinfectant-resistance, biofilm-formation, growth in amoebae, growth at low organic carbon concentrations (oligotrophic), and growth under conditions of stagnation. This review is intended to increase awareness of OPPPs, identify emerging OPPPs, and challenge the drinking water industry to develop novel approaches toward their control.
Topics: Disinfectants; Disinfection; Drinking Water; Mycobacterium avium; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Sanitary Engineering; Water Microbiology
PubMed: 25918909
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph120504533 -
Water Research Jun 2017Driven by the development of water purification technologies and water quality regulations, the use of better source water and/or upgraded water treatment processes to... (Review)
Review
Driven by the development of water purification technologies and water quality regulations, the use of better source water and/or upgraded water treatment processes to improve drinking water quality have become common practices worldwide. However, even though these elements lead to improved water quality, the water quality may be impacted during its distribution through piped networks due to the processes such as pipe material release, biofilm formation and detachment, accumulation and resuspension of loose deposits. Irregular changes in supply-water quality may cause physiochemical and microbiological de-stabilization of pipe material, biofilms and loose deposits in the distribution system that have been established over decades and may harbor components that cause health or esthetical issues (brown water). Even though it is clearly relevant to customers' health (e.g., recent Flint water crisis), until now, switching of supply-water quality is done without any systematic evaluation. This article reviews the contaminants that develop in the water distribution system and their characteristics, as well as the possible transition effects during the switching of treated water quality by destabilization and the release of pipe material and contaminants into the water and the subsequent risks. At the end of this article, a framework is proposed for the evaluation of potential transition effects.
Topics: Biofilms; Drinking Water; Water Microbiology; Water Purification; Water Quality; Water Supply
PubMed: 28329709
DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2017.03.031