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Chemosphere Jan 2019Transformation products (TPs) can be formed from organic micropollutants in the water cycle through both biological and technological processes. Despite the TPs'...
Transformation products (TPs) can be formed from organic micropollutants in the water cycle through both biological and technological processes. Despite the TPs' potentially altered toxicity compared to their parent compounds, transformation processes are not routinely monitored, and in particular those induced by drinking water treatment remain elusive. This lack of information is mainly due to the technical challenges in analyzing TPs, which are often unknown compounds occurring in low concentrations. Their analysis requires sophisticated analytical techniques such as non-target screening (NTS) based on high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (HRMS/MS) methods combined with novel data analysis approaches. Here, we addressed the challenges of TP analysis and the scarcity of TP research concerning studies in drinking water. We performed lab-scale experiments to monitor TP formation of three organic micropollutants prevalent in drinking water sources, i.e. carbamazepine, clofibric acid and metolachlor, during rapid sand filtration and ozonation, two readily applied biotic and abiotic drinking water treatments, respectively. To facilitate TP identification in the NTS data, halogenated and/or isotopically labeled parent compounds were used, revealing potential TPs through their isotopic patterns. The experimental results showed that degradation of the parent compounds and TP formation were treatment and compound specific. In silico TP prediction and literature mining enabled suspect screening of the non-target data and thereby significantly enhanced TP identification. Overall, the developed workflow enables an efficient and more comprehensive assessment of drinking water quality changes during water treatment.
Topics: Drinking Water; Filtration; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Water Purification; Water Quality
PubMed: 30296768
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.09.140 -
International Journal of Environmental... Apr 2024Lead is an established neurotoxicant, and it has known associations with adverse neurodevelopmental and reproductive outcomes. Exposure to lead at any level is unsafe,...
Lead is an established neurotoxicant, and it has known associations with adverse neurodevelopmental and reproductive outcomes. Exposure to lead at any level is unsafe, and the United States (US) has enacted various federal and state legislations to regulate lead levels in drinking water in K-12 schools and childcare facilities; however, no regulations exist for higher education settings. Upon the discovery of lead in drinking water fixtures in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) campus, a cross-campus water testing network and sampling plan was developed and deployed. The campaign was based on the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 3Ts (Training, Testing, and Taking Action) guidance. The seven-month campaign involved 5954 tests on 3825 drinking water fixtures across 265 buildings. A total of 502 (8.43%) tests showed lead above the limit of detection (1 part per billion, ppb), which represented 422 (11.03%) fixtures. Fewer than 1.5% of the tests were above the EPA action level for public water systems (15 ppb). In conclusion, systematic testing of all the fixtures across campus was required to identify localized contamination, and each entity in the cross-campus network undertook necessary roles to generate a successful testing campaign. UNC-CH established preventative measures to test drinking water fixtures every three years, which provide a framework for other higher education institutions in responding to lead contamination.
Topics: Lead; Drinking Water; Universities; North Carolina; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Humans; Environmental Monitoring; United States; United States Environmental Protection Agency
PubMed: 38791777
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21050561 -
Chemosphere Dec 2020Nigeria is the most populated black nation in the world with about 199 million people. About 66.3 million Nigerians do not have access to safe drinking water. In this... (Review)
Review
Nigeria is the most populated black nation in the world with about 199 million people. About 66.3 million Nigerians do not have access to safe drinking water. In this study, research findings on water quality monitoring and assessment in Nigeria over the past two decades were systematically reviewed. There are still grave enforcement issues in Nigeria as quality guidelines are still being contravened at no cost to the infringer due to the corrupt socio-political circumstances of the country. The quality of surface water, groundwater, rainwater and commercially available water was discussed in line with their pollution sources. The quality of surface water was generally poor. Groundwater pollution has come due to landfill leachate, oil and gas exploration and production, sewage and hydrogeological interactions of the groundwater with the base rock. The hydrogeological effect has led to the observation of lead and barium in groundwater in many locations across the country. The main issue with rainwater in Nigeria is the low pH but it was observed to be fairly clean. Commercially available water (bottled or sachet) is currently the best source of drinking water for the Nigerian populace. Bottled water quality is higher than for sachet water and the latter largely influenced by microbe contamination. Future perspectives in water quality monitoring and assessment are suggested in the evaluation of emerging contaminants and micro-pollutants and the utilisation of internet-enabled technologies.
Topics: Drinking Water; Environmental Monitoring; Groundwater; Nigeria; Rain; Sustainable Development; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Water Quality
PubMed: 32688315
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127569 -
Public Health Feb 2016Information about the quality of drinking water, together with analysis of knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) analysis and health risk assessment (HRA) remain...
OBJECTIVES
Information about the quality of drinking water, together with analysis of knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) analysis and health risk assessment (HRA) remain limited. The aims of this study were: (1) to ascertain the level of KAP regarding heavy metal contamination of drinking water in Pasir Mas; (2) to determine the concentration of heavy metals (Al, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Zn and Cd) in drinking water in Pasir Mas; and (3) to estimate the health risks (non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic) caused by heavy metal exposure through drinking water using hazard quotient and lifetime cancer risk.
METHODS
Information on KAP was collected using a standardized questionnaire. Heavy metal analysis of drinking water samples was performed using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry.
RESULTS
The population of Pasir Mas has good knowledge (80%), a less positive attitude (93%) and good practice (81%) towards heavy metal contamination of drinking water. The concentrations of heavy metals analysed in this study were found to be below the permissible limits for drinking water set by the Malaysian Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization. The HRA showed no potential non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks from the intake of heavy metal through drinking water.
CONCLUSION
By investigating the quality of drinking water, KAP and HRA, the results of this study will provide authorities with the knowledge and resources to improve the management of drinking water quality in the future.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Drinking Water; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Metals, Heavy; Middle Aged; Risk Assessment; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult
PubMed: 26715317
DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2015.11.006 -
Journal of Water and Health Jun 2021The Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) 2017 Update and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Baselines report classified 71% of the global population as having access to...
The Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) 2017 Update and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Baselines report classified 71% of the global population as having access to 'safely managed' drinking water. Current global monitoring efforts to track access to safely managed drinking water rely on collecting information on the 'primary' source of drinking water. However, there is evidence that households often rely on multiple sources to meet their water needs in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This systematic review was designed to compile the literature related to the practice of multiple water source use (MWSU) for drinking water in LMICs. A total of 5,318 studies were collected, and after abstract and full-text review, 74 articles were identified for inclusion. Studies reviewed reported from 4 to 100% of the study populations practicing MWSU. Additionally, the practice of supplemental unimproved source use was reported globally, representing households with improved primary source water also accessing unimproved water sources throughout the year. These findings expose gaps in current global water monitoring efforts, revealing potential inflation of reports of 'safe drinking water access' and unaccounted exposure to drinking water from unimproved sources.
Topics: Developing Countries; Drinking Water; Poverty; Water Quality; Water Supply
PubMed: 34152293
DOI: 10.2166/wh.2021.205 -
Environmental Health : a Global Access... Mar 2015Determining the role of weather in waterborne infections is a priority public health research issue as climate change is predicted to increase the frequency of extreme... (Review)
Review
Determining the role of weather in waterborne infections is a priority public health research issue as climate change is predicted to increase the frequency of extreme precipitation and temperature events. To document the current knowledge on this topic, we performed a literature review of analytical research studies that have combined epidemiological and meteorological data in order to analyze associations between extreme precipitation or temperature and waterborne disease.A search of the databases Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS and Web of Science was conducted, using search terms related to waterborne infections and precipitation or temperature. Results were limited to studies published in English between January 2001 and December 2013.Twenty-four articles were included in this review, predominantly from Asia and North-America. Four articles used waterborne outbreaks as study units, while the remaining articles used number of cases of waterborne infections. Results presented in the different articles were heterogeneous. Although most of the studies identified a positive association between increased precipitation or temperature and infection, there were several in which this association was not evidenced. A number of articles also identified an association between decreased precipitation and infections. This highlights the complex relationship between precipitation or temperature driven transmission and waterborne disease. We encourage researchers to conduct studies examining potential effect modifiers, such as the specific type of microorganism, geographical region, season, type of water supply, water source or water treatment, in order to assess how they modulate the relationship between heavy rain events or temperature and waterborne disease. Addressing these gaps is of primary importance in order to identify the areas where action is needed to minimize negative impact of climate change on health in the future.
Topics: Climate Change; Drinking Water; Extreme Heat; Humans; Rain; Waterborne Diseases
PubMed: 25885050
DOI: 10.1186/s12940-015-0014-y -
Environment International Sep 2018Toxicological risk assessment of contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) in (sources of) drinking water is required to identify potential health risks and prioritize...
Toxicological risk assessment of contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) in (sources of) drinking water is required to identify potential health risks and prioritize chemicals for abatement or monitoring. In such assessments, concentrations of chemicals in drinking water or sources are compared to either (i) health-based (statutory) drinking water guideline values, (ii) provisional guideline values based on recent toxicity data in absence of drinking water guidelines, or (iii) generic drinking water target values in absence of toxicity data. Here, we performed a toxicological risk assessment for 163 CEC that were selected as relevant for drinking water. This relevance was based on their presence in drinking water and/or groundwater and surface water sources in downstream parts of the Rhine and Meuse, in combination with concentration levels and physicochemical properties. Statutory and provisional drinking water guideline values could be derived from publically available toxicological information for 142 of the CEC. Based on measured concentrations it was concluded that the majority of substances do not occur in concentrations which individually pose an appreciable human health risk. A health concern could however not be excluded for vinylchloride, trichloroethene, bromodichloromethane, aniline, phenol, 2-chlorobenzenamine, mevinphos, 1,4-dioxane, and nitrolotriacetic acid. For part of the selected substances, toxicological risk assessment for drinking water could not be performed since either toxicity data (hazard) or drinking water concentrations (exposure) were lacking. In absence of toxicity data, the Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC) approach can be applied for screening level risk assessment. The toxicological information on the selected substances was used to evaluate whether drinking water target values based on existing TTC levels are sufficiently protective for drinking water relevant CEC. Generic drinking water target levels of 37 μg/L for Cramer class I substances and 4 μg/L for Cramer class III substances in drinking water were derived based on these CEC. These levels are in line with previously reported generic drinking water target levels based on original TTC values and are shown to be protective for health effects of the majority of contaminants of emerging concern evaluated in the present study. Since the human health impact of many chemicals appearing in the water cycle has been studied insufficiently, generic drinking water target levels are useful for early warning and prioritization of CEC with unknown toxicity in drinking water and its sources for future monitoring.
Topics: Drinking Water; Risk Assessment; Water Pollutants, Chemical
PubMed: 29909348
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.05.006 -
Talanta May 2022Organic compounds in drinking water can be potentially hazardous. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time that combining in-bottle thin-film microextraction...
Thin-film microextraction combined with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry screening for presence of multiclass organic pollutants in drinking water samples.
Organic compounds in drinking water can be potentially hazardous. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time that combining in-bottle thin-film microextraction (TFME), comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography, and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-TOFMS) can produce a powerful, green tool for determining multiple organic pollutants in drinking water and monitoring changes in water samples after treatment with a water purification system. In the developed approach, water is added to an amber sampling bottle containing TFME membranes and left to sit until equilibration is achieved. Once equilibration has been achieved, the membranes are withdrawn, and the extracted compounds are quantified via thermal desorption in the GC × GC-TOFMS system. This approach enabled a large number of organic compounds with a wide range of physicochemical properties to be identified based on their mass spectra. A series of drinking water samples (raw water, water after softener filter, and drinking water) were collected from a standard house faucet in order to analyze changes following treatment with a water purification system. The developed strategy was also applied to identify the concentrations of the 9 selected organic compounds in the water samples. Ultimately, the in-bottle TFME-GC × GC-TOFMS method is straightforward and provides comparable performance to other methods for low-level analyses of organic pollutants in drinking water samples.
Topics: Drinking Water; Environmental Pollutants; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Organic Chemicals
PubMed: 35167962
DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2022.123301 -
Neurotoxicology Jan 2018Manganese (Mn) is an element found in the environment and certain geographic areas have elevated concentrations in soil and water du to natural conditions or anthropic...
BACKGROUND
Manganese (Mn) is an element found in the environment and certain geographic areas have elevated concentrations in soil and water du to natural conditions or anthropic activities. A growing body of data suggests that exposure to manganese in drinking water could be neurotoxic.
OBJECTIVE
Firstly, we aimed to examine the association between exposure to manganese from drinking water and cognition in children consuming well water. Secondly, we also aimed to examine the relation between cognition and manganese concentrations in children's hair, nail, and saliva.
METHODS
A total 259 children from 189 households consuming well water were included in the present study (ages 5.9 to 13.7 years). We assessed children's cognition with the WISC-IV, and we used five indicators of manganese exposure: concentration in tap water, intake from the consumption of water divided by child's weight, manganese concentration in children's hair, toe nail, and saliva. We used General Estimating Equation analysis to assess the relation between manganese exposure indicators and IQ scores, adjusting for potential confounders, and taking into account family clusters.
RESULTS
Drinking water manganese concentrations were generally low, with 48% of children consuming water <5μg/L, 25% >50μg/L, and 4% >400μg/L. Results differed by sex. In girls, higher manganese concentration in water, hair, and toe nail were associated with poorer Performance IQ scores but this was significant only for toe nail (for a 10-fold increase in manganese, β: -5.65, 95% CIs: -10.97, -0.32). Opposite associations were observed in boys, i.e., better Performance IQ scores with higher manganese concentration hair, toe nail, and water, the latter being significant (β: 2.66, 95% CIs: 0.44, 4.89). Verbal IQ scores did not seem to be associated with manganese exposure indicators.
CONCLUSIONS
Drinking water manganese levels were considerably lower than in previous studies reporting neurotoxic effects. There was no clear indication of an association between exposure to manganese and cognitive development in this sample of school-age children although the data suggest there might be sex-specific associations. Given the low levels of exposure and sex-specific associations, a larger sample size would have been required to increase the statistical power and better characterize the relations.
Topics: Adolescent; Child; Child, Preschool; Cognition; Drinking Water; Environmental Exposure; Female; Humans; Intelligence; Male; Manganese; Wechsler Scales
PubMed: 28716743
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2017.07.024 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2014Worldwide, the access to safe drinking water is a huge problem. In fact, the number of persons without safe drinking water is increasing, even though it is an essential... (Review)
Review
Worldwide, the access to safe drinking water is a huge problem. In fact, the number of persons without safe drinking water is increasing, even though it is an essential ingredient for human health and development. The enormity of the problem also makes it a critical environmental and public health issue. Therefore, there is a critical need for easy-to-use, compact and sensitive techniques for water quality monitoring. Raman spectroscopy has been a very powerful technique to characterize chemical composition and has been applied to many areas, including chemistry, food, material science or pharmaceuticals. The development of advanced Raman techniques and improvements in instrumentation, has significantly improved the performance of modern Raman spectrometers so that it can now be used for detection of low concentrations of chemicals such as in-line monitoring of chemical and pharmaceutical contaminants in water. This paper briefly introduces the fundamentals of Raman spectroscopy, reviews the development of Raman instrumentations and discusses advanced and potential Raman techniques for in-line water quality monitoring.
Topics: Drinking Water; Environmental Monitoring; Equipment Design; Equipment Failure Analysis; Online Systems; Spectrum Analysis, Raman; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Water Quality
PubMed: 25230309
DOI: 10.3390/s140917275