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Archives of Environmental Contamination... Jan 2021The focus of the present study was to assess the quality of different drinking water sources, impacts of poor water quality on human health, and to apportion pollution...
The focus of the present study was to assess the quality of different drinking water sources, impacts of poor water quality on human health, and to apportion pollution source(s) of the district Bajaur, Pakistan. Drinking water samples (n = 331) were randomly collected from springs, hand pumps, open wells, and tube wells and analyzed for physicochemical parameters including toxic elements, and bacteriological contamination (i.e., Escherichia coli). Furthermore, a questionnaire survey was conducted to record the cases of waterborne diseases in the study area. The results showed that total suspended solids and bacteriological contamination exceeded the permissible limits of the WHO in all four of the water sources. Among the potentially toxic elements, Cd, Pb, and Mn were above the permissible limits of the WHO in some samples. The hazard index for spring water was found to exceed the toxicity level (i.e., HI > 1) set by US EPA for both adults and children, while the sources from hand pumps, open wells, and tube wells were within the safe limit. The order for the overall safety level for water quality in the study area was tube wells > open wells > hand pumps > springs. The pollution source apportionment statistics revealed that both geogenic and anthropogenic activities are the sources of drinking water contamination. The results of the questionnaire survey indicated that reports of waterborne diseases were highest in respondents who took their drinking water from springs, whereas reports of diseases were moderate in respondents taking their water from open wells and hand pumps and lowest in respondents taking their water from tube wells. Based on the findings of the study, the tube well source of water is recommended for drinking water purposes.
Topics: Adult; Child; Drinking Water; Humans; Pakistan; Random Allocation; Risk Assessment; Water Microbiology; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Water Pollution; Water Quality; Water Supply
PubMed: 33386942
DOI: 10.1007/s00244-020-00801-3 -
Journal of the American Society of... Oct 2021
Topics: Anemia; Drinking Water; Environmental Justice; Humans; Kidney Failure, Chronic; Lead; Race Factors; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Water Supply
PubMed: 34544822
DOI: 10.1681/ASN.2021060793 -
Journal of Nepal Health Research Council Sep 2012Drinking water quality is the great public health concern because it is a major risk factor for high incidence of diarrheal diseases in Nepal. In the recent years, the...
BACKGROUND
Drinking water quality is the great public health concern because it is a major risk factor for high incidence of diarrheal diseases in Nepal. In the recent years, the prevalence rate of diarrhoea has been found the highest in Myagdi district. This study was carried out to assess the quality of drinking water from different natural sources, reservoirs and collection taps at Arthunge VDC of Myagdi district.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study was carried out using random sampling method in Arthunge VDC of Myagdi district from January to June,2010. 84 water samples representing natural sources, reservoirs and collection taps from the study area were collected. The physico-chemical and microbiological analysis was performed following standards technique set by APHA 1998 and statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS 11.5. The result was also compared with national and WHO guidelines.
RESULTS
Out of 84 water samples (from natural source, reservoirs and tap water) analyzed, drinking water quality parameters (except arsenic and total coliform) of all water samples was found to be within the WHO standards and national standards.15.48% of water samples showed pH (13) higher than the WHO permissible guideline values. Similarly, 85.71% of water samples showed higher Arsenic value (72) than WHO value. Further, the statistical analysis showed no significant difference (P<0.05) of physico-chemical parameters and total coliform count of drinking water for collection taps water samples of winter (January, 2010) and summer (June, 2010). The microbiological examination of water samples revealed the presence of total coliform in 86.90% of water samples.
CONCLUSIONS
The results obtained from physico-chemical analysis of water samples were within national standard and WHO standards except arsenic. The study also found the coliform contamination to be the key problem with drinking water.
Topics: Cross-Sectional Studies; Drinking Water; Humans; Nepal; Water Microbiology; Water Quality
PubMed: 23281449
DOI: No ID Found -
The Science of the Total Environment Jul 2017Lead (Pb) in public drinking water supplies has garnered much attention since the outset of the Flint water crisis. Pb is a known hazard in multiple environmental... (Review)
Review
Lead (Pb) in public drinking water supplies has garnered much attention since the outset of the Flint water crisis. Pb is a known hazard in multiple environmental matrices, exposure from which results in long-term deleterious health effects in humans. This discussion paper aims to provide a succinct account of environmental Pb exposures with a focus on water Pb levels (WLLs) in the United States. It is understood that there is a strong correlation between WLLs and blood Pb levels (BLLs), and the associated health effects. However, within the Flint water crisis, more than water chemistry and Pb exposure occurred. A cascade of regulatory and bureaucratic failures culminated in the Flint water crisis. This paper will discuss pertinent regulations and responses including their limitations after an overview of the public health effects from Pb exposure as well as discussion on our limitations on monitoring and mitigating Pb in tap water. As the Flint water crisis also included increased Legionnares' disease, caused by Legionella pneumophila, this paper will discuss factors influencing L. pneumophila growth. This will highlight the systemic nature of changes to water chemistry and public health impacts. As we critically analyze these important aspects of water research, we offer discussions to stimulate future water quality research from a new and systemic perspective to inform and guide public health decision-making.
Topics: Drinking Water; Humans; Lead; Legionella pneumophila; Public Health; United States; Water Microbiology; Water Quality; Water Supply
PubMed: 28285860
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.02.164 -
International Journal of Hygiene and... Nov 2016Assuring sufficient quality of drinking water is of great importance for public wellbeing and prosperity. Nations have developed regulatory system with the aim of... (Review)
Review
Assuring sufficient quality of drinking water is of great importance for public wellbeing and prosperity. Nations have developed regulatory system with the aim of providing drinking water of sufficient quality and to minimize the risk of contamination of the water supply in the first place. In this study the chemical quality of Icelandic drinking water was evaluated by systematically analyzing results from audit monitoring where 53 parameters were assessed for 345 samples from 79 aquifers, serving 74 water supply systems. Compliance to the Icelandic Drinking Water Regulation (IDWR) was evaluated with regard to parametric values, minimum requirement of sampling, and limit of detection. Water quality compliance was divided according to health-related chemicals and indicators, and analyzed according to size. Samples from few individual locations were benchmarked against natural background levels (NBLs) in order to identify potential pollution sources. The results show that drinking compliance was 99.97% in health-related chemicals and 99.44% in indicator parameters indicating that Icelandic groundwater abstracted for drinking water supply is generally of high quality with no expected health risks. In 10 water supply systems, of the 74 tested, there was an indication of anthropogenic chemical pollution, either at the source or in the network, and in another 6 water supplies there was a need to improve the water intake to prevent surface water intrusion. Benchmarking against the NBLs proved to be useful in tracing potential pollution sources, providing a useful tool for identifying pollution at an early stage.
Topics: Drinking Water; Environmental Monitoring; Government Regulation; Iceland; Water Pollutants, Chemical
PubMed: 27717751
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2016.09.011 -
Journal of Water and Health Jun 2017There is an increasing awareness that drinking water contributes to sporadic gastrointestinal illness (GI) in high income countries of the northern hemisphere. A... (Review)
Review
There is an increasing awareness that drinking water contributes to sporadic gastrointestinal illness (GI) in high income countries of the northern hemisphere. A literature search was conducted in order to review: (1) methods used for investigating the effects of public drinking water on GI; (2) evidence of possible dose-response relationship between sporadic GI and drinking water consumption; and (3) association between sporadic GI and factors affecting drinking water quality. Seventy-four articles were selected, key findings and information gaps were identified. In-home intervention studies have only been conducted in areas using surface water sources and intervention studies in communities supplied by ground water are therefore needed. Community-wide intervention studies may constitute a cost-effective alternative to in-home intervention studies. Proxy data that correlate with GI in the community can be used for detecting changes in the incidence of GI. Proxy data can, however, not be used for measuring the prevalence of illness. Local conditions affecting water safety may vary greatly, making direct comparisons between studies difficult unless sufficient knowledge about these conditions is acquired. Drinking water in high-income countries contributes to endemic levels of GI and there are public health benefits for further improvements of drinking water safety.
Topics: Drinking Water; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Humans; Public Health; Water Quality; Water Supply
PubMed: 28598337
DOI: 10.2166/wh.2017.261 -
Critical Reviews in Toxicology Jan 2019The biologic effects of inorganic arsenic predominantly involve reaction of the trivalent forms with sulfhydryl groups in critical proteins in target cells, potentially... (Review)
Review
The biologic effects of inorganic arsenic predominantly involve reaction of the trivalent forms with sulfhydryl groups in critical proteins in target cells, potentially leading to various toxicologic events including cancer. This mode of action is a threshold process, requiring sufficient concentrations of trivalent arsenic to disrupt normal cellular function. Nevertheless, cancer risk assessments for inorganic arsenic have traditionally utilized various dose-response models that extrapolate risks from high doses assuming low-dose linearity without a threshold. We present here an approach for a cancer risk assessment for inorganic arsenic in drinking water that involves considerations of this threshold process. Extensive investigations in mode of action analysis, studies (>0.1 µM), and in animal studies (>2 mg/L in drinking water or 2 mg/kg of diet), collectively indicate a threshold basis for inorganic arsenic-related cancers. These studies support a threshold for the effects of arsenic in humans of 50-100 µg/L in drinking water (about 65 µg/L). We then evaluate the epidemiology of cancers of the urinary bladder, lung, and skin and non-cancer skin changes for consistency with this calculated value, focusing on studies involving low-level exposures to inorganic arsenic primarily in drinking water (approximately <150 µg/L). Based on the relevant epidemiological studies with individual-level data, a threshold level for inorganic arsenic in the drinking water for these cancers is estimated to be around 100 µg/L, with strong evidence that it is between 50 and 150 µg/L, consistent with the value calculated based on mechanistic, and investigations. This evaluation provides an alternative mode of action-based approach for assessing health-protective levels for oral arsenic exposure based on the collective , , and human evidence rather than the use of a linear low-dose extrapolation based on default assumptions and theories.
Topics: Arsenic; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drinking Water; Environmental Exposure; Neoplasms; Water Pollutants, Chemical
PubMed: 30932726
DOI: 10.1080/10408444.2019.1573804 -
Chemosphere Jul 2020The occurrence of microplastics in drinking water systems has increasingly become a major environmental challenge. Although the potential impacts of microplastics in...
The occurrence of microplastics in drinking water systems has increasingly become a major environmental challenge. Although the potential impacts of microplastics in drinking water on humans are not yet fully understood, microplastics attract the public health concern when they are consumed by humans through drinking water systems. Current drinking water treatment plants constitute an obstacle to the entry of microplastics from raw water into daily drinking water. Therefore, understanding the behaviors of drinking water treatment process and the fates of microplastics in drinking water treatment plants are very important. We systematically reviewed the available knowledge on the global existence of microplastics in raw water, treated water and tap water in this paper. This will offer a new perspective for the threat of microplastics in drinking water to human health and help to formulate effective strategies for microplastic monitoring. The existing knowledge of microplastic removal by different treatment processes was also thoroughly discussed. Additionally, the potential challenges of microplastic removal from treatment processes and remediation strategies of microplastics in drinking water were also put forward. The relationship between the properties and behavior of microplastics during different treatment processes is suggested to explore in the future.
Topics: Drinking Water; Environmental Monitoring; Humans; Microplastics; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Water Purification
PubMed: 32443234
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126612 -
Chemosphere Apr 2020There is a dearth of data on lithium content of domestic water sources in Nigeria. This study reported the lithium concentration in ground and surface water sources used...
There is a dearth of data on lithium content of domestic water sources in Nigeria. This study reported the lithium concentration in ground and surface water sources used for drinking in Southeastern Nigeria. Thirteen (13) natural springs, 24 streams, 7 hand-dug wells and 80 boreholes, making a total of 124 water samples were collected from strategic locations and analysed by ICP-OES. The distribution of lithium according to water sources and lithostratigraphic units as well as dietary contribution of lithium through drinking water was investigated. Average lithium concentrations in water samples from all sources were between 0.09 and 1.54 μg/L (overall mean ± SEM: 1.0 ± 0.2 μg/L). Results according to the geological formations of the areas studied indicated that only water sources located within the Benin Formation and Bende-Ameki Formation contained lithium in the range of <0.21-7.24 and < 0.21-1.97 μg/L respectively, whereas lithium was not detected in samples located within the Nsukka and Mamu lithostratigraphic units. Total intakes of lithium from water consumption (0.64 L for children and 2 L for adults) for all water sources were 79 and 247 μg/day for children and adults respectively, while the average daily intake of lithium from the water sources ranged from 0.004 to 0.066 and 0.002-0.044 μg/kg body weight for children (15 kg) and adults (70 kg) respectively. Drinking water in the study areas contributes only about 0.02-0.47% of the U.S. EPA estimated daily intake (9.3-44.3 μg/kg) of Lithium.
Topics: Adult; Child; Drinking Water; Humans; Lithium; Nigeria; Rural Health; Urban Health; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Water Supply
PubMed: 31855764
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125593 -
European Neuropsychopharmacology : the... Jun 2023
Topics: Humans; Drinking Water; Lithium; Suicide
PubMed: 36867985
DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2023.02.009