-
Environment International May 2022Prenatal exposure to drinking water with arsenic concentrations >50 μg/L is associated with adverse birth outcomes, with inconclusive evidence for concentrations...
BACKGROUND
Prenatal exposure to drinking water with arsenic concentrations >50 μg/L is associated with adverse birth outcomes, with inconclusive evidence for concentrations ≤50 μg/L. In a collaborative effort by public health experts, hydrologists, and geologists, we used published machine learning model estimates to characterize arsenic concentrations in private wells-federally unregulated for drinking water contaminants-and evaluated associations with birth outcomes throughout the conterminous U.S.
METHODS
Using several machine learning models, including boosted regression trees (BRT) and random forest classification (RFC), developed from measured groundwater arsenic concentrations of ∼20,000 private wells, we characterized the probability that arsenic concentrations occurred within specific ranges in groundwater. Probabilistic model estimates and private well usage data were linked by county to all live birth certificates from 2016 (n = 3.6 million). We evaluated associations with gestational age and term birth weight using mixed-effects models, adjusted for potential confounders and incorporated random intercepts for spatial clustering.
RESULTS
We generally observed inverse associations with term birth weight. For instance, when using BRT estimates, a 10-percentage point increase in the probability that private well arsenic concentrations exceeded 5 μg/L was associated with a -1.83 g (95% CI: -3.30, -0.38) lower term birth weight after adjusting for covariates. Similarly, a 10-percentage point increase in the probability that private well arsenic concentrations exceeded 10 μg/L was associated with a -2.79 g (95% CI: -4.99, -0.58) lower term birth weight. Associations with gestational age were null.
CONCLUSION
In this largest epidemiologic study of arsenic and birth outcomes to date, we did not observe associations of modeled arsenic estimates in private wells with gestational age and found modest inverse associations with term birth weight. Study limitations may have obscured true associations, including measurement error stemming from a lack of individual-level information on primary water sources, water arsenic concentrations, and water consumption patterns.
Topics: Arsenic; Birth Weight; Drinking Water; Female; Groundwater; Humans; Pregnancy; United States; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Water Supply; Water Wells
PubMed: 35349912
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107176 -
Scientific Reports Feb 2021Acidification of drinking water to a pH between 2.5 and 3.0 is widely used to prevent the spread of bacterial diseases in animal colonies. Besides hydrochloric acid...
Acidification of drinking water to a pH between 2.5 and 3.0 is widely used to prevent the spread of bacterial diseases in animal colonies. Besides hydrochloric acid (HCl), sulfuric acid (HSO) is also used to acidify drinking water. Here we examined the effects of HSO-acidified drinking water (pH = 2.8) received from weaning (postnatal day 21) on the behavior and gut microflora of 129S6/SvEv mice, a mouse strain commonly used in transgenic studies. In contrast to HCl-acidified water, HSO-acidified water only temporarily impaired the pole-descending ability of mice (at 3 months of age), and did not change the performance in an accelerating rotarod test. As compared to 129S6/SvEv mice receiving non-acidified or HCl-acidified drinking water, the gut microbiota of 129S6/SvEv mice on HSO-acidified water displayed significant alterations at every taxonomic level especially at 6 months of age. Our results demonstrate that the effects of acidified drinking water on the behavior and gut microbiota of 129S6/SvEv mice depends on the acid used for acidification. To shed some light on how acidified drinking water affects the physiology of 129S6/SvEv mice, we analyzed the serum and fecal metabolomes and found remarkable, acidified water-induced alterations.
Topics: Animals; Bacterial Infections; Drinking Water; Feces; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Male; Metabolome; Metabolomics; Mice; Models, Animal; Motor Activity; Rotarod Performance Test; Sulfuric Acids
PubMed: 33536529
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82570-0 -
Environmental Science & Technology Feb 2023This study investigates human exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) via drinking water and evaluates human health risks. An analytical method for 56...
This study investigates human exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) via drinking water and evaluates human health risks. An analytical method for 56 target PFAS, including ultrashort-chain (C2-C3) and branched isomers, was developed. The limit of detection (LOD) ranged from 0.009 to 0.1 ng/L, except for trifluoroacetic-acid and perfluoropropanoic-acid with higher LODs of 35 and 0.24 ng/L, respectively. The method was applied to raw and produced drinking water from 18 Dutch locations, including groundwater or surface water as source, and applied various treatment processes. Ultrashort-chain (300 to 1100 ng/L) followed by the group of perfluoroalkyl-carboxylic-acids (PFCA, ≥C4) (0.4 to 95.1 ng/L) were dominant. PFCA and perfluoroalkyl-sulfonic-acid (≥C4), including precursors, showed significantly higher levels in drinking water produced from surface water. However, no significant difference was found for ultrashort PFAS, indicating the need for groundwater protection. Negative removal of PFAS occasionally observed for advanced treatment indicates desorption and/or degradation of precursors. The proportion of branched isomers was higher in raw and produced drinking water as compared to industrial production. Drinking water produced from surface water, except for a few locations, exceed non-binding provisional guideline values proposed; however, all produced drinking waters met the recent soon-to-be binding drinking-water-directive requirements.
Topics: Humans; Drinking Water; Environmental Monitoring; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Groundwater; Fluorocarbons; Carboxylic Acids; Alkanesulfonic Acids
PubMed: 36779784
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c06015 -
Tropical Medicine & International... Nov 2021About 18% of urban households in Nigeria depend on packaged sachet water as the primary source of drinking water. This review assessed microbial contamination of these... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVES
About 18% of urban households in Nigeria depend on packaged sachet water as the primary source of drinking water. This review assessed microbial contamination of these products with an emphasis on total coliforms and the faecal indicator bacteria (FIB) - Escherichia coli (E. coli) and thermotolerant coliforms (TTC).
METHODS
PubMed/Medline, African Index Medicus, AfroLib, Global Health Library, Embase and the ISI Web of Science databases were searched to identify original research published up to October 2020. The literature findings were synthesised narratively in line with the review objectives. To assess prevalence of microbial contamination, a random effects meta-analysis, was also conducted using the R metafor package in RStudio. The protocol for this review is registered on PROSPERO with reference number CRD 42019128474.
RESULTS
Fifty-two of 429 studies were identified for inclusion. At 53.27%, contamination prevalence was higher for total coliforms (95% CI: 39.05-66.98, I = 81%, p < 0.01, 42 studies) than FIB (12.38%, 95% CI: 7.92-18.85, I = 61%, p < 0.01, 33 studies) suggesting that treatment failure is a major contributor to the poor microbial quality reported in the included studies. Within the FIB group, the prevalence of contamination with E. coli was 13.30% (95% CI: 8.23-20.80, I = 65%, p < 0.01, 27 studies) versus 6.24% (95% CI: 1.12-28.06, I = 72%, p < 0.01, six studies) for TTCs. Other microbial contaminants reported were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella and Enterococcus faecalis and these showed multidrug antibiotic resistance.
CONCLUSIONS
The findings of this review highlight the need for improved regulatory oversight with more stringent monitoring of the microbial quality of sachet water products in Nigeria.
Topics: Drinking Water; Escherichia coli; Humans; Nigeria; Water Microbiology; Water Quality; Water Supply
PubMed: 34455673
DOI: 10.1111/tmi.13672 -
International Journal of Environmental... Nov 2022Animal studies indicate deleterious effects of nitrate exposure on fecundity, but effects in humans are unknown, both for the prenatal and postnatal periods. We aimed to...
Animal studies indicate deleterious effects of nitrate exposure on fecundity, but effects in humans are unknown, both for the prenatal and postnatal periods. We aimed to investigate if exposure to nitrate in maternal drinking water during the sensitive period of fetal life is associated with measures of fecundity in the adult sons. In a sub-analysis, the potential effects of nitrate exposure in adulthood were investigated. This cohort included 985 young adult men enrolled in The Fetal Programming of Semen Quality Cohort (FEPOS). Semen characteristics, testes volume and reproductive hormones were analyzed in relation to nitrate concentration in maternal drinking water, using a negative binomial regression model. The nitrate concentration in drinking water was obtained from monitoring data from Danish waterworks that were linked with the mothers' residential address during pregnancy. The median nitrate concentration in maternal drinking water was 2 mg/L. At these low exposure levels, which are far below the World Health Organization's (WHO) guideline value of 50 mg/L, we did not find indications of harmful effects of nitrate on the investigated measures of male fecundity.
Topics: Pregnancy; Young Adult; Female; Male; Humans; Adult; Drinking Water; Nitrates; Semen Analysis; Adult Children; Nitrogen Oxides; Fertility; Organic Chemicals
PubMed: 36361307
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192114428 -
Environmental Science & Technology Oct 2023Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) make up a large group of fluorinated organic compounds extensively used in consumer products and industrial applications....
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) make up a large group of fluorinated organic compounds extensively used in consumer products and industrial applications. Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), the two perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) with 8 carbons in their structure, have been phased out on a global scale because of their high environmental persistence and toxicity. As a result, shorter-chain PFAAs with less than 8 carbons in their structure are being used as their replacements and are now widely detected in the environment, raising concerns about their effects on human health. In this study, 47 PFAAs and their precursors were measured in paired samples of dust and drinking water collected from residential homes in Indiana, United States, and in blood and urine samples collected from the residents of these homes. Ultrashort- (with 2 or 3 carbons [C2-C3]) and short-chain (with 4-7 carbons [C4-C7]) PFAAs were the most abundant in all four matrices and constituted on average 69-100% of the total PFAA concentrations. Specifically, trifluoroacetic acid (TFA, C2) and perfluoropropanoic acid (PFPrA, C3) were the predominant PFAAs in most of the samples. Significant positive correlations ( = 81; = 0.23-0.42; < 0.05) were found between TFA, perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA, C4), and perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA, C7) concentrations in dust or water and those in serum, suggesting dust ingestion and/or drinking water consumption as important exposure pathways for these compounds. This study demonstrates that ultrashort- and short-chain PFAAs are now abundant in the indoor environment and in humans and warrants further research on potential adverse health effects of these exposures.
Topics: Humans; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Fluorocarbons; Alkanesulfonic Acids; Drinking Water; Dust
PubMed: 37818968
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c06715 -
Journal of Environmental and Public... 2021Waterborne diseases continue to challenge communities in low-income countries like Ethiopia. Clinical information in Wegeda town showed that the prevalence of waterborne...
Waterborne diseases continue to challenge communities in low-income countries like Ethiopia. Clinical information in Wegeda town showed that the prevalence of waterborne diseases was 58%. This study aimed to evaluate bacteriological and physicochemical drinking water quality in Wegeda town. This study will add valuable scientific data for future intervention. Water samples from protected and unprotected springs, hand-dug well, taps, and households' containers were collected from November 2018 to June 2019 for bacteriological and physicochemical analyses. Besides, information about the potential risk factors was collected using a structured questionnaire. A total of 120 water samples were collected and analyzed for total and fecal coliform counts using the multiple tube fermentation method (MPN). The presence of was also checked from fecal coliform positive samples collected from households' containers. Selected physicochemical parameters were also determined using the standard methods. In all cases, the median values of total and fecal coliform counts ranged from 5 to 27 and 2 to 13 MPN/100 ml, respectively. Accordingly, all of the drinking water samples did not comply with the standards. Coliforms were significantly higher in the households' containers than in the sources ( < 0.05) and also significantly varied by water sources. The highest and lowest coliform counts were recorded in unprotected spring and taps, respectively. Besides, 18.33% of water samples collected from households' containers were tested positive for . Regarding physicochemical parameters, most values were within the acceptable limit values recommended by the WHO. However, water samples from unprotected spring and hand-dug well did not satisfy the turbidity limit value set by the WHO. Drinking water systems in Wegeda town were likely contaminated with pathogenic bacteria likely due to poor protection and sanitation practices. Providing the community with potable water, toilets, domestic and animal waste disposal systems, and intensive health education and sanitation practices for the community are highly recommended.
Topics: Drinking Water; Escherichia coli; Ethiopia; Humans; Water Microbiology; Water Quality
PubMed: 33628281
DOI: 10.1155/2021/6646269 -
International Journal of Environmental... Feb 2022Rn and Ra concentrations of less than a few to several thousands of Bq L have been observed in several underground bodies of water around the world. Although regulations...
Rn and Ra concentrations of less than a few to several thousands of Bq L have been observed in several underground bodies of water around the world. Although regulations for these concentrations in water have been implemented internationally, there are currently no regulations in place in Japan. However, concentrations that exceed these internationally recognized regulatory values have also been observed in Japan. In this study, concentrations in spring water in the northern part of Japan were measured and the effective dose from intake of the water was evaluated. Rn concentrations were measured using a liquid scintillation counter, and Ra concentrations were measured using a high purity germanium detector after chemical preparation. The measured Rn concentrations (=12.7 ± 6.1 Bq L) and Ra concentrations (<0.019-0.022 Bq L) did not exceed the reference values set by international and European/American organizations. A conservative estimate of the annual effective ingestion dose of 8 μSv for Rn and Ra obtained in this study is much smaller than the estimated overall annual effective dose of 2.2 mSv from natural radiation to the Japanese population. However, this dosage accounts for 8% of the WHO individual dosing criteria of 0.1 mSv/year for drinking water.
Topics: Background Radiation; Drinking Water; Eating; Radiation Dosage; Radiation Monitoring; Radon; Water Pollutants, Radioactive; Water Supply
PubMed: 35162781
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19031758 -
Patterns and predictions of drinking water nitrate violations across the conterminous United States.The Science of the Total Environment Jun 2020Excess nitrate in drinking water is a human health concern, especially for young children. Public drinking water systems in violation of the 10 mg nitrate-N/L maximum...
Excess nitrate in drinking water is a human health concern, especially for young children. Public drinking water systems in violation of the 10 mg nitrate-N/L maximum contaminant level (MCL) must be reported in EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). We used SDWIS data with random forest modeling to examine the drivers of nitrate violations across the conterminous U.S. and to predict where public water systems are at risk of exceeding the nitrate MCL. As explanatory variables, we used land cover, nitrogen inputs, soil/hydrogeology, and climate variables. While we looked at the role of nitrate treatment in separate analyses, we did not include treatment as a factor in the final models, due to incomplete information in SDWIS. For groundwater (GW) systems, a classification model correctly classified 79% of catchments in violation and a regression model explained 43% of the variation in nitrate concentrations above the MCL. The most important variables in the GW classification model were % cropland, agricultural drainage, irrigation-to-precipitation ratio, nitrogen surplus, and surplus precipitation. Regions predicted to have risk for nitrate violations in GW were the Central California Valley, parts of Washington, Idaho, the Great Plains, Piedmont of Pennsylvania and Coastal Plains of Delaware, and regions of Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota. For surface water (SW) systems, a classification model correctly classified 90% of catchments and a regression model explained 52% of the variation in nitrate concentration. The variables most important for the SW classification model were largely hydroclimatic variables including surplus precipitation, irrigation-to-precipitation ratio, and % shrubland. Areas at greatest risk for SW nitrate violations were generally in the non-mountainous west and southwest. Identifying the areas with possible risk for future violations and potential drivers of nitrate violations across U.S. can inform decisions on how source water protection and other management options could best protect drinking water.
Topics: Drinking Water; Nitrates; United States; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Water Supply
PubMed: 32192969
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137661 -
International Journal of Environmental... Nov 2020The incidence rate of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is becoming a global health problem that could be caused by changes in environmental and lifestyle habits. The...
The incidence rate of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is becoming a global health problem that could be caused by changes in environmental and lifestyle habits. The study aimed to identify the association between the quality of drinking water, i.e., physiochemical and biological aspects of the phenotype and activity of IBD in Eastern Croatia. The study included 312 patients (63.4% ulcerative colitis, UC, and 36.6% Crohn's disease, CD) from the area of Eastern Croatia. The data were collected by questionnaires and the analysis of the water safety, based on 65 samples of drinking water by the patient's water supply method (public supply, rural water supply, and private well). IBD was active in 38.0% patients (34.0% CD and 40.0% UC). Significant differences ( = 0.001) were observed in the distribution of patients, according to counties in which they lived in. The largest deviation was noted in coliform bacteria, , and enterococci bacteria, Fe, Al, and nitrate in rural water supply and private wells, although, without significant impact on IBD phenotype and activity. The hazard quotient (HQ) simulations showed that children are a sensitive group, regarding exposure to nitrates in drinking water over a long period of time, so there is a need for further monitoring and analysis of this issue.
Topics: Colitis, Ulcerative; Croatia; Crohn Disease; Drinking Water; Humans; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Water Quality
PubMed: 33207850
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17228495