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Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979) Aug 2016Coastal areas in Southeast Asia are experiencing high sodium concentrations in drinking water sources that are commonly consumed by local populations. Salinity problems...
Coastal areas in Southeast Asia are experiencing high sodium concentrations in drinking water sources that are commonly consumed by local populations. Salinity problems caused by episodic cyclones and subsequent seawater inundations are likely (partly) related to climate change and further exacerbated by changes in upstream river flow and local land-use activities. Dietary (food) sodium plays an important role in the global burden of hypertensive disease. It remains unknown, however, if sodium in drinking water-rather than food-has similar effects on blood pressure and disease risk. In this study, we examined the effect of drinking water sodium on blood pressure of pregnant women: increases in blood pressure in this group could severely affect maternal and fetal health. Data on blood pressure, drinking water source, and personal, lifestyle, and environmental confounders was obtained from 701 normotensive pregnant women residing in coastal Bangladesh. Generalized linear mixed regression models were used to investigate association of systolic and diastolic blood pressure of these-otherwise healthy-women with their water source. After adjustment for confounders, drinkers of tube well and pond water (high saline sources) were found to have significantly higher average systolic (+4.85 and +3.62 mm Hg) and diastolic (+2.30 and +1.72 mm Hg) blood pressures than rainwater drinkers. Drinking water salinity problems are expected to exacerbate in the future, putting millions of coastal people-including pregnant women-at increased risk of hypertension and associated diseases. There is an urgent need to further explore the health risks associated to this understudied environmental health problem and feasibility of possible adaptation strategies.
Topics: Adult; Bangladesh; Blood Pressure; Blood Pressure Determination; Drinking Water; Environmental Exposure; Female; Humans; Hypertension; Needs Assessment; Pregnancy; Risk Assessment; Salinity; Sodium Chloride; Sodium Chloride, Dietary
PubMed: 27297000
DOI: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.116.07743 -
Gaceta Sanitaria Nov 2016The purpose of drinking water legislation is to guarantee the quality and safety of water intended for human consumption. In the European Union, Directive 98/83/EC...
The purpose of drinking water legislation is to guarantee the quality and safety of water intended for human consumption. In the European Union, Directive 98/83/EC updated the essential and binding quality criteria and standards, incorporated into Spanish national legislation by Royal Decree 140/2003. This article reviews the main characteristics of the aforementioned drinking water legislation and its impact on the improvement of water quality against empirical data from Catalonia. Analytical data reported in the Spanish national information system (SINAC) indicate that water quality in Catalonia has improved in recent years (from 88% of analytical reports in 2004 finding drinking water to be suitable for human consumption, compared to 95% in 2014). The improvement is fundamentally attributed to parameters concerning the organoleptic characteristics of water and parameters related to the monitoring of the drinking water treatment process. Two management experiences concerning compliance with quality standards for trihalomethanes and lead in Barcelona's water supply are also discussed. Finally, this paper presents some challenges that, in the opinion of the authors, still need to be incorporated into drinking water legislation. It is necessary to update Annex I of Directive 98/83/EC to integrate current scientific knowledge, as well as to improve consumer access to water quality data. Furthermore, a need to define common criteria for some non-resolved topics, such as products and materials in contact with drinking water and domestic conditioning equipment, has also been identified.
Topics: Drinking Water; European Union; Humans; Spain; Water Quality; Water Supply
PubMed: 27837797
DOI: 10.1016/j.gaceta.2016.04.012 -
Scientific Reports Nov 2022Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are widespread in the environment due to the overuse of antibiotics and other pollutants, posing a threat to human and animal health....
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are widespread in the environment due to the overuse of antibiotics and other pollutants, posing a threat to human and animal health. In this study, we evaluated antimicrobial residues, bacterial diversity and ARGs in two important watersheds, Guandu and São João, that supply drinking water to Rio de Janeiro city, Brazil. In addition, tap water samples were collected from three different cities in Rio de Janeiro State, including the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro city. Clarithromycin, sulfamethoxazole and azithromycin were found in untreated water and drinking water in all samples. A greater abundance of Proteobacteria was observed in Guandu and São João watersheds, with most of the sequences belonging to the Gammaproteobacteria class. A plasmidome-focused metagenomics approach revealed 4881 (Guandu), 3705 (São João) and 3385 (drinking water) ARGs mainly associated with efflux systems. The genes encoding metallo-β-lactamase enzymes (bla, bla, bla, and bla) were detected in the two watersheds and in drinking water samples. Moreover, we demonstrated the presence of the colistin resistance genes mcr-3 and mcr-4 (both watersheds) and mcr-9 (drinking water and Guandu) for the first time in Brazil. Our data emphasize the importance of introducing measures to reduce the disposal of antibiotics and other pollutants capable of promoting the occurrence and spread of the microbial resistome on aquatic environments and predicting possible negative impacts on human health.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Drinking Water; Brazil; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Microbiota; Environmental Pollutants; Genes, Bacterial
PubMed: 36351942
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21040-7 -
The American Journal of Tropical... Oct 2018Poor drinking water quality is one of the main causes of acute diarrheal disease in developing countries. The study investigated the relationship between fecal...
Poor drinking water quality is one of the main causes of acute diarrheal disease in developing countries. The study investigated the relationship between fecal contamination of hands, stored drinking water, and source waters in India. We further evaluated the environmental and behavioral factors associated with recontamination of water between collection and consumption. The bacterial contamination, that is, (log most probable number per two hands), found on mothers' hands (mean = 1.11, standard deviation [SD] = 1.2, = 152) was substantially higher than that on their children younger than 5 years (mean = 0.64, SD = 1.0, and = 152). We found a low level of (< 1 per 100 mL) in the source water samples; however, contamination in stored drinking water was above the recommended guidelines of the World Health Organization. The study also found that on hands was significantly associated with in the stored drinking water ( < 0.001). Moreover, was positively associated with gastrointestinal symptoms (odds ratio 1.42, < 0.05). In the households with elevated levels (> 100 /100 mL) of fecal contamination, we found that 43.5% had unimproved sanitation facilities, poor water handling practices, and higher diarrheal incidences. The water quality deterioration from the source to the point of consumption is significant. This necessitates effective interventions in collection, transport, storage, and extraction practices when hand-water contact is likely to occur. These findings support the role of hands in the contamination of stored drinking water and suggest that clean source water does not guarantee safe water at the point of consumption.
Topics: Adult; Child; Cities; Diarrhea; Drinking Water; Escherichia coli; Family Characteristics; Feces; Female; Hand Hygiene; Humans; India; Male; Mothers; Sanitation; Water Purification; Water Quality; Water Supply
PubMed: 30062991
DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.16-0819 -
Water Research Apr 2023Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are recognized as persistent pollutants that have been found in drinking water sources on a global scale. Semi-permeable...
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are recognized as persistent pollutants that have been found in drinking water sources on a global scale. Semi-permeable membrane treatment processes such as reverse osmosis and nanofiltration (NF) have been shown effective at removing PFAS, however, disposal of PFAS laden concentrate is problematic. Without treatment of the concentrate, PFAS is released into the environment. The present work examined a novel PFAS removal scheme for drinking water using NF filtration with treatment of the resulting NF concentrate via foam fractionation (FF) with and without co-surfactants. The NF-pilot removed 98% of PFAS from AFFF contaminated groundwater producing permeate with 1.4 ng L total PFAS. Using FF resulted in ∑PFAS removal efficiency of 90% from the NF concentrate and with improved removal of 94% with addition of cationic co-surfactant. The resulting foamate composed approximately 2% of the NF feedwater volume and contained greater than 3000 ng L PFAS or 41 times greater than the NF feedwater. Addition of the cationic co-surfactant to the FF process resulted in increased removal efficiency of the shorter chain PFAS, specifically 37% for PFPeA, 9% for PFHxA, and 34% for PFBS thus attaining 59%, 99% and 96% removal efficiency, respectively. PFOA, PFPeS, PFHxS, PFOS each attained 99% FF removal with or without co-surfactant addition.
Topics: Drinking Water; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Fluorocarbons; Groundwater; Surface-Active Agents
PubMed: 36764110
DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.119688 -
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 -
American Journal of Public Health Apr 2016
Topics: Anthropology, Cultural; Drinking Water; Humans; Kenya; Walking
PubMed: 26959264
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2016.303066 -
Environmental Health Perspectives Apr 2021Exposure to toxic metals (TMs) such as lead can cause lifelong neurodevelopmental impairment and other adverse outcomes. TMs enter drinking water from human activity,...
BACKGROUND
Exposure to toxic metals (TMs) such as lead can cause lifelong neurodevelopmental impairment and other adverse outcomes. TMs enter drinking water from human activity, geogenic contamination, and corrosion of water system components. Several studies report TM contamination in piped systems and private wells in high-income countries (HICs). However, few robust studies report on TM contamination in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
OBJECTIVES
We characterized the occurrence and investigated sources of TM contamination in 261 rural water systems in three West African LMICs to inform prevention and management.
METHODS
Water samples were collected from 261 community water systems (handpumps and public taps) across rural Ghana, Mali, and Niger. Scrapings were collected from accessible components of a subset of these systems using a drill with acid-washed diamond-tipped bits. Samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) mass spectrometry or ICP optical emission spectroscopy.
RESULTS
Of the TMs studied, lead most frequently occurred at levels of concern in sampled water system components and water samples. Lead mass fractions exceeded International Plumbing Code (IPC) recommended limits (0.25% wt/wt) for components in 82% (107/130) of systems tested; brass components proved most problematic, with 72% (26/36) exceeding IPC limits. Presence of a brass component in a water system increased expected lead concentrations in drinking-water samples by 3.8 times. Overall, lead exceeded World Health Organization (WHO) guideline values in 9% (24/261) of drinking-water samples across countries; these results are broadly comparable to results observed in many HICs. Results did not vary significantly by geography or system type.
DISCUSSION
Ensuring use of lead-free () components in new water systems and progressively remediating existing systems could reduce drinking-water lead exposures and improve health outcomes for millions. However, reflexive decommissioning of existing systems may deprive users of sufficient water for health or drive them to riskier sources. Because supply chains for many water system components are global, TM monitoring, prevention, and management may be warranted in other LMICs beyond the study area as well. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7804.
Topics: Drinking Water; Humans; Lead; Sanitary Engineering; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Water Supply
PubMed: 33877857
DOI: 10.1289/EHP7804 -
Environmental Research Sep 2022While CO capture is considered a key climate change mitigation option, we must ensure that global implementation occurs without causing harm to the local environment and...
While CO capture is considered a key climate change mitigation option, we must ensure that global implementation occurs without causing harm to the local environment and the human health. The most mature option for capture is using amines, which however, is associated with a risk of contaminating nearby drinking water sources with carcinogenic nitramines (NAs) and nitrosamines (NSAs). Here we present the first process-based simulation of NAs and NSAs in a catchment-lake system with the input of previously modelled atmospheric deposition rates. Considering full-scale CO capture at the Oslo waste incineration plant in Norway, future (∼10 y) levels in a nearby lake approach the national drinking water limit. We further quantified the effect of hydrological and biogeochemical processes and identified those with the highest sensitivity (NA biodegradation). The uncertainty of the results is presented by a probabilistic distribution (Monte Carlo analysis), incorporating variability in catchment, lake, and literature NA and NSA parameter values. This modelling tool allows for the site-specific assessment of the abovementioned risks related to amine-based CO capture and aspires to contribute to the sound evaluation of costly amine emission reduction measures.
Topics: Amines; Aniline Compounds; Carbon Dioxide; Drinking Water; Humans; Lakes; Nitrobenzenes; Nitrosamines
PubMed: 35654158
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113581 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jan 2023Due to chronic exposure to elevated levels of arsenic in drinking water, thousands of Californians have increased risk for internal cancers and other adverse health...
Due to chronic exposure to elevated levels of arsenic in drinking water, thousands of Californians have increased risk for internal cancers and other adverse health effects. The mortality risk of cancer is 1 in 400 people exposed to above 10 μg/L of arsenic in their drinking water. The purpose of this community assessment was to understand the perceptions and awareness of the residents and public water representatives in rural, unincorporated farming communities of color in San Joaquin Valley, California. In our research, we asked 27 community informants about their (1) available water sources, (2) knowledge about the health impacts of arsenic, and (3) preferences for risk communication and education regarding the health impacts of arsenic-contaminated drinking water. Through our qualitative coding and analysis, we found that most community informants indicated that there was limited community awareness about the health effects of drinking water with elevated arsenic levels. Preferences for risk communication included using in-language, culturally relevant, and health literate health promotion strategies and teaching these topics through the local K-8 schools' science curriculum with a language brokerage approach to transfer student knowledge to family members. Key recommendations include implementing these communication preferences to increase community-wide knowledge about safe drinking water.
Topics: Humans; Drinking Water; Arsenic; Environmental Exposure; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Communication; California
PubMed: 36613135
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20010813