Mixed-Organic/Inorganic-Chemical Exposure in USA Point-of-Use Drinking Water
Abstract
Safe drinking water at the point of use (tapwater, TW) is a US public-health priority. Multiple lines of evidence were used to evaluate potential human-health concerns of 540 organics and 35 inorganics in an initial reconnaissance of exposures in public-supply and private-supply TW in 25 residential and workplace locations across the US and in a follow-up investigation of TW exposure variability in 45 residential locations in the Greater Chicago urban area. The results document the widespread potential in the US for human exposure to a variety of previously uncharacterized contaminant mixtures in TW. Exceedance of public-supply enforceable Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL) was observed only in unregulated private-well locations. However, common exceedance of non-enforceable MCL Goals (MCLG) and state advisories for multiple inorganics and organics indicate the need for improved understanding of cumulative effects of low-concentration TW mixtures on vulnerable human sub-populations. Multiple lines of evidence, including the presence of contaminants designed to be biologically active and Exposure-Activity Ratios based on in vitro exposure-effects data in ToxCast, were employed to inform potential human-health concerns of detected TW chemicals.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFMGH21C1222B
- Keywords:
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- 0345 Pollution: urban and regional;
- ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE;
- 0230 Impacts of climate change: human health;
- GEOHEALTH;
- 1616 Climate variability;
- GLOBAL CHANGE;
- 1630 Impacts of global change;
- GLOBAL CHANGE