Trihalomethanes and associated potential cancer risks in the water supply in Ankara, Turkey

Exposure and carcinogenic risk assessment of trihalomethanes (THMs) for water supply consumers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background

Trihalomethanes (THMs), a class of DBPs (disinfection byproducts) that includes chloroform, bromodichloromethane (BDCM), chlorodibromomethane (CDBM), and bromoform. To the best of authors' knowledge, no study has addressed the relationship between the concentration of THMs and lifetime cancer risks (LCR) in drinking water supply system in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the lifetime cancer risks of exposure to THMs in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Method

A total of 120 duplicate water samples were collected from 21 sampling points in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The THMs were separated by a DB-5 capillary column and detected by an electron capture detector (ECD). Cancer and non-cancer risk assessments were performed.

Results

The average total THMs (TTHMs)concentration in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was 76.3 μg/L. Chloroform was the most dominant THM species identified. The total cancer risk for males was higher than that for females. The average LCR for TTHMs via ingestion in drinking water in this study was unacceptably high risk 93.4 × 10 - 2 . An average LCR through dermal routes was also of unacceptably high risk 4.3 × 10 - 2 . The LCR by chloroform contributes the highest (72%) of the total risk, followed by BDCM (14%), DBCM (10%) and bromoform (4%).

Conclusions

The cancer risk of drinking water due to THMs in Addis Ababa was higher than the level recommended by the USEPA. The total LCR from the targeted THMs was higher via the three exposure routes. Males were at higher THM cancer risk than females. The hazard index (HI) indicated that the dermal route caused higher HI values than the ingestion route. It is essential to apply alternatives to chlorine, i.e., chlorine dioxide (ClO₂), ozone and ultraviolet radiation, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The monitoring and regulation of the THMs is required on a regular basis to analyse the trends and guide the water treatment and distribution system.

Availability of data and materials

The datasets generated for this analysis are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Assessing microbial and chemical exposure risks of Giardia in indoor swimming pool water disinfected by chlorine

Swimming pools adopt chlorination to ensure microbial safety. Giardia has attracted attention in swimming pool water because of its occurrence, pathogenicity, and chlorine resistance. To control Giardia concentrations in pool water and reduce the microbial risk, higher chlorine doses are required during disinfection. Unfortunately, this process produces carcinogenic disinfection byproducts that increase the risk of chemical exposure. Therefore, quantitatively evaluating the comparative microbial vs. chemical exposure risks that stem from chlorination inactivation of Giardia in swimming pool water is an issue that demands attention. We simulated an indoor swimming pool disinfection scenario that followed common real-world disinfection practices. A quantitative microbial risk assessment coupled with a chemical exposure risk assessment was employed to compare the Giardia microbial exposure risk (MER) and the trihalomethane chemical exposure risk (CER) to humans. The results demonstrated a 22% decrease in MER- and CER-induced health exposure risk, from 8.45E-5 at 8:00 to 6.60E-5 at 19:00. Both the MER and CER decreased gradually, dropping to 3.26E-5 and 3.35E-5 at 19:00, respectively. However, the CER exceeded the MER after 18:30 and became the dominant factor affecting the total exposure risk. Past the 18 hr mark, the contribution of trihalomethane CER far exceeded the risk aversion from microbial inactivation, leading to a net increase in total exposure risk despite the declining MER. Swimmers may consider swimming after 19:00, when the total exposure risk is the lowest. Lowering water temperature and/or pH were identified as the most sensitive factors to minimize the overall health exposure risk.

Emerging disinfection by-products' formation potential in raw water, wastewater, and treated wastewater in Thailand

Raw water (RW) from the Bangkok and Sing Buri water treatment plants located on the Chao Phraya River, river water, domestic wastewater (WW), and treated wastewater (TWW) from two wastewater treatment plants in Thailand were collected three times to investigate disinfection by-products' (DBPs) formation potential (FP) including trihalomethane FP (THMFP), iodo-THMFP (I-THMFP), haloacetonitriles FP (HANFP), and trichloronitromethane FP (TCNMFP). High THMFP levels were observed in river water, WW, and TWW. Considering average value, the THMFP of TWW was about two times higher than that of RW. Relatively high levels of I-THMFP were found in WW and TWW. The I-THMFP of TWW was three to seven times higher than that of RW. The HANFP of TWW was one to three times higher than that of RW. High levels of TCNMFP were found in WW and TWW. TCNMFP of TWW was six to thirteen times higher than that of RW. The discharge of TWW to RW must be prevented and controlled. The moderately positive linear relationship was obtained between dissolved organic carbon and TCNMFP in TWW. Considering measured weight concentration, THMFP was found as the highest DBPs. The highest lethal concentration 50-weighted and lowest cytotoxicity-weighted concentrations of DBPs were determined for HANFP.

Quantification by SIFT-MS of volatile compounds produced by the action of sodium hypochlorite on a model system of infected root canal content

Root canal irrigation with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) is an indispensable part of the chemomechanical preparation of infected root canals in Endodontology. However, there is limited information on the emergence of toxic or hazardous volatile compounds (VOCs) from the interaction of NaOCl with the infected content of tooth biomaterials. The aim of this study was to assess the formation of VOCs and disinfection by-products (DBPs) following the interaction of NaOCl 2.5% v/v with a model system of different sources of natural organic matter (NOM) present in infected root canals, including dentine powder, planktonic multi-microbial suspensions (Propionibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Actinomyces radicidentis, Streptococcus mitis and Enterococcus faecalis strain OMGS3202), bovine serum albumin 4%w/v and their combination. NaOCl was obtained from a stock solution with iodometric titration. Ultrapure water served as negative control. Samples were stirred at 37°C in aerobic and anaerobic conditions for 30min to approximate a clinically realistic time. Centrifugation was performed and the supernatants were collected and stored at -80⁰ C until analysis. The reaction products were analysed in real time by selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) in triplicates. SIFT-MS analysis showed that the released VOCs included chlorinated hydrocarbons, particularly chloroform, together with unexpected higher levels of some nitrogenous compounds, especially acetonitrile. No difference was observed between aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The chemical interaction of NaOCl with NOM resulted in the formation of toxic chlorinated VOCs and DBPs. SIFT-MS analysis proved to be an effective analytical method. The risks from the rise of toxic compounds require further consideration in dentistry.

Validation of a robust LLE-GC-MS method for determination of trihalomethanes in environmental samples

An analytical liquid-liquid extraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (LLE-GC-MS) method was developed and validated for the determination of trihalomethanes (THMs) in environmental samples. The compounds studied were trichloromethane (TCM), bromodichloromethane (BDCM), dibromochloromethane (DBCM), and tribromomethane (TBM). The calibration curves for the THMs showed high linearity in the range of 1-1000 μg L^-1. Studies of intra-day and inter-day precision, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), accuracy, and recovery were performed with low (10 μg L^-1), medium (40 μg L^-1), and high (200 μg L^-1) concentrations of THMs. The intra-day and inter-day precision RSD varied in the ranges of 0.17-6.95% and 0.26-15.70%, respectively. No statistical differences were observed between the analysis of the concentration of certified reference materials (CRM 4M8140-U) and the values reported by CRM, indicating the good accuracy of the proposed method. The recovery was 88.75-119.21%. The LOD and LOQ were smaller than 0.13 and 0.40 μg L^-1. Compared with reported LLE-GC-MS methods, the validated method had similar LOD and enhanced LOQ, precision, accuracy, and recovery. Also, the method is robust, selective to THMs, and the total time for the extraction and GC separation of THMs is about 18 min. The method was useful for detecting and quantifying low concentrations of TCM (40-80 μg L^-1) formed by water chlorination in the presence of Microcystis aeruginosa cyanobacteria, thus demonstrating its applicability for monitoring THMs in real samples.

Trihalomethane exposure and biomonitoring for the liver injury indicator, alanine aminotransferase, in the United States population (NHANES 1999-2006)

Exposure to trihalomethanes (or THMs: chloroform, bromoform, bromodichloromethane, and dibromochloromethane [DBCM]) formed via drinking water disinfection has been associated with adverse reproductive outcomes and cancers of the digestive or genitourinary organs. However, few studies have examined potential associations between THMs and liver injury in humans, even though experimental studies suggest that these agents exert hepatotoxic effects, particularly among obese individuals. This study examined participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2006, N=2781) to test the hypothesis that THMs are associated with liver injury as assessed by alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity in circulation. Effect modification by body mass index (BMI) or alcohol consumption also was examined. Associations between blood THM concentrations and ALT activity were assessed using unconditional multiple logistic regression to calculate prevalence odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for exposure among cases with elevated ALT activity (men: >40IU/L, women: >30IU/L) relative to those with normal ALT, after adjustment for variables that may confound the relationship between ALT and THMs. Compared to controls, cases were 1.35 times more likely (95% CI: 1.02, 1.79) to have circulating DBCM concentrations exceeding median values in the study population. There was little evidence for effect modification by BMI, although the association varied by alcohol consumption. Among non-drinkers, cases were more likely than controls to be exposed to DBCM (OR: 3.30, 95% CI: 1.37, 7.90), bromoform (OR: 2.88, 95% CI: 1.21, 6.81), or brominated THMs (OR: 4.00, 95% CI: 1.31, 12.1), but no association was observed among participants with low, or moderate to heavy alcohol consumption. Total THM levels exceeding benchmark exposure limits continue to be reported both in the United States and globally. Results from this study suggest a need for further characterization of ALT activity and possibly other hepatic or metabolic diseases in populations with elevated drinking water THM concentrations.

Assessing the human health impacts of exposure to disinfection by-products--a critical review of concepts and methods

Understanding the public health implications of chemical contamination of drinking water is important for societies and their decision-makers. The possible population health impacts associated with exposure to disinfection by-products (DBPs) are of particular interest due to their potential carcinogenicity and their widespread occurrence as a result of treatments employed to control waterborne infectious disease. We searched the literature for studies that have attempted quantitatively to assess population health impacts and health risks associated with exposure to DBPs in drinking water. We summarised and evaluated these assessments in terms of their objectives, methods, treatment of uncertainties, and interpretation and communication of results. In total we identified 40 studies matching our search criteria. The vast majority of studies presented estimates of generic cancer and non-cancer risks based on toxicological data and methods that were designed with regulatory, health-protective purposes in mind, and therefore presented imprecise and biased estimates of health impacts. Many studies insufficiently addressed the numerous challenges to DBP risk assessment, failing to evaluate the evidence for a causal relationship, not appropriately addressing the complex nature of DBP occurrence as a mixture of chemicals, not adequately characterising exposure in space and time, not defining specific health outcomes, not accounting for characteristics of target populations, and not balancing potential risks of DBPs against the health benefits related with drinking water disinfection. Uncertainties were often poorly explained or insufficiently accounted for, and important limitations of data and methods frequently not discussed. Grave conceptual and methodological limitations in study design, as well as erroneous use of available dose-response data, seriously impede the extent to which many of these assessments contribute to understanding the public health implications of exposure to DBPs. In some cases, assessment results may cause unwarranted alarm among the public and potentially lead to poor decisions being made in sourcing, treatment, and provision of drinking water. We recommend that the assessment of public health impacts of DBPs should be viewed as a means of answering real world policy questions relating to drinking water quality, including microbial contaminants; that they should be conducted using the most appropriate and up-to-date data and methods, and that associated uncertainties and limitations should be accounted for using quantitative methods where appropriate.

Multi-exposure cancer and non-cancer risk assessment of trihalomethanes in drinking water supplies - A case study of Eastern region of India

The lifetime cancer risk and the hazard index of trihalomethanes (THMs) through oral ingestion, dermal absorption, and inhalation exposure from supply water of five WTPs were analysed. THMs concentration varied from plant to plant and was found to be in the range of 274-511µg/l, which is much higher than the prescribed USEPA standards of 80µg/l. Chloroform was the most dominant THM followed by bromodichloromethane (BDCM), and dibromochloromethane (DBCM). Cancer risk analysis through multi-pathways exposure reveals that residents had a higher cancer risk through oral ingestion than other two routes of exposure. The lifetime cancer risks of THMs from supply water were 100 times higher than prescribed USEPA guidelines. The higher cancer risk found for Indian context than those reported for other countries like USA, UK, Japan, Australia, is mainly due to the higher concentration level of THMs, water intake and average body weight. The study also revealed that amongst different THMs, chloroform is the major THMs causing cancer risk through both oral and dermal route of exposure whereas in case of inhalation it was mainly because of BDCM. Average lifetime cancer risk analysis indicated that females are more prone to cancer risk than males. Oral ingestion is a major route indicating the potential impact of non-cancer risk while it was insignificant through dermal exposure. Sensitivity analysis of THMs revealed that chloroform is the predominant parameter followed by body weight and exposure duration influencing cancer risk.

Formation potentials of bromate and brominated disinfection by-products in bromide-containing water by ozonation

The ozonation involved in drinking water treatment raises issues of water quality security when the raw water contains bromide (Br(-)). Br(-) ions may be converted to bromate (BrO3 (-)) during ozonation and some brominated disinfection by-products (Br-DBPs) in the following chlorination. In this study, the effects of ozone (O3) dosage, contact time, pH, and Br(-) and ammonia (NH3-N) concentrations on the formation of BrO3 (-) and Br-DBPs have been investigated. The results show that decreasing the initial Br(-) concentration is an effective means of controlling the formation of BrO3 (-). When the concentration of Br(-) was lower than 100 μg/L, by keeping the ratio of O3 dosage to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration at less than 1, BrO3 (-) production was effectively suppressed. The concentration of BrO3 (-) steadily increased with increasing O3 dosage at high Br(-) concentration (>900 μg/L). Additionally, a longer ozonation time increased the concentrations of BrO3 (-) and total organic bromine (TOBr), while it had less impact on the formation potentials of brominated trihalomethanes (Br-THMFP) and haloacetic acids (Br-HAAFP). Higher pH value and the presence of ammonia may lead to an increase in the formation potential of BrO3 (-) and Br-DBPs.

Health risk assessment of inhalation exposure of irrigation workers and the public to trihalomethanes from reclaimed water in landscape irrigation in Tianjin, North China

To estimate the concentration in air and the cancer risk of irrigation workers and the public exposed to the total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) in reclaimed water used for landscape irrigation, a probabilistic health risk assessment was conducted through the integrated use of one-dimensional (1-D) and two-dimensional (2-D) Monte Carlo simulations. Before the 2-D simulation, a sensitivity analysis corresponding to the 1-D simulation was carried out to identity the factors most affecting the outputs. The results reveal that the TTHM concentration level and cancer risk for workers' exposure is much higher than that for public exposure in landscape irrigation. Moreover, the most influential factors are quite different for workers' exposure and public exposure. The 2-D Monte Carlo risk analysis result for the workers indicated that the lowest-risk, highest-risk and two critical points for irrigation height are 0.7 m, 1.53 m, 1.4m and 1.65 m when the mean value of the risk is selected as the reference statistic for risk management. Based on the risk assessment results, different measures can be suggested for the risk control of different populations. Furthermore, the influential variables should be better characterized to improve the accuracy of health risk assessment.

Occurrence and Assessment of Chemical Contaminants in Drinking Water in Tunceli, Turkey

The objective of this study was to analyze drinking water samples from 21 sites in the city center and seven municipalities of Tunceli, Turkey, in order to determine the presence of nitrate, nitrite, fluoride, bromate, pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), trihalomethanes (THMs), and some other chemicals. In all locations, the concentrations of chemicals investigated were below the permissible limits set by local and international organizations for drinking water. Low levels of nitrate (4.79 ± 4.20 mg/L), fluoride (0.11 ± 0.08 mg/L), and THMs (6.63 ± 5.14 μg/L) were detected in all locations. A low level of tetra, chloroethane, which is suspected to be a human carcinogen, was also detected in 8 locations in the range of 0.26–0.43 μg/L. These contaminants may pose adverse health effects or minimum hazard due to long-term exposure. In all locations, bromate, benzene, total PAH, 1-2 dichloroethane, vinyl chloride, acrylamide, and epichloridine levels in drinking water samples were under detection limits.

Occurrence of THM and NDMA precursors in a watershed: Effect of seasons and anthropogenic pollution

In pristine watersheds, natural organic matter is the main source of disinfection by-product (DBP) precursors. However, the presence of point or non-point pollution sources in watersheds may lead to increased levels of DBP precursors which in turn form DBPs in the drinking water treatment plant upon chlorination or chloramination. In this study, water samples were collected from a lake used to obtain drinking water for Istanbul as well as its tributaries to investigate the presence of the precursors of two disinfection by-products, trihalomethanes (THM) and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). In addition, the effect of seasons and the possible relationships between these precursors and water quality parameters were evaluated. The concentrations of THM and NDMA precursors measured as total THM formation potential (TTHMFP) and NDMA formation potential (NDMAFP) ranged between 126 and 1523μg/L THM and <2 and 1648ng/L NDMA, respectively. Such wide ranges imply that some of the tributaries are affected by anthropogenic pollution sources, which is also supported by high DOC, Cl(-) and NH(3) concentrations. No significant correlation was found between the water quality parameters and DBP formation potential, except for a weak correlation between NDMAFP and DOC concentrations. The effect of the sampling location was more pronounced than the seasonal variation due to anthropogenic pollution in some tributaries and no significant correlation was obtained between the seasons and water quality parameters.

Multi-route risk assessment from trihalomethanes in drinking water supplies

The main objectives of this study were to investigate the concentration and lifetime cancer risk and hazard index of trihalomethanes (THMs) through multiple routes like oral ingestion, dermal absorption, and inhalation exposure in the water samples collected at water treatment plant endpoints. Bromoform has been found in highest concentration followed by chloroform. A lesser concentration of dibromochloromethane has been found than dichlorobromomethane in most of the studied water, which is an unusual scenario, in spite of the high concentration of bromide in the water which can be attributed to the formation, speciation, and distribution of THMs in the breakpoint chlorination curve. Among the three pathways studied, inhalation contributed 80-90% of the total risk followed by oral exposure and dermal contact. Chloroform was found to be the major THM which is having cancer risk in its gaseous form whereas bromoform contributed highest cancer risk through oral ingestion. The average hazard index of total THMs through oral route was higher than unity, indicating high noncarcinogenic risk. The discrepancy between the three exposure pathways may be attributed to different concentration and speciation of THMs present in the waters. The sensitivity analysis by tornado diagram confirmed the highest positive impact of chloroform to the total cancer risk and, indirectly, confirmed inhalation as the major pathway of exposure. This study suggests the modification of the regulatory issues related to THMs based on the health risk associated with each THM and exposure pathway.

Investigation of trihalomethanes formation potential in Karoon River water, Iran

Organic matters in raw water have a potential to generate harmful disinfection by-products such as trihalomethanes (THMs) during the chlorination process. The objectives of this study were to investigate the trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP) in Karoon River water and to determine the effect of several factors including total organic carbon (TOC), pH, chlorine dosage, water temperature, and seasonal variation. The results showed that, among all factors, TOC and water temperature have a remarkable effect on THMFP. The experimental results from batch studies indicated that increasing of pH value yielded a greater THMFP concentration for Karoon River water. THMFP levels of Karoon River water in summer times, when water temperature exceeded 26°C, were 1.2-1.6 times higher than in the spring and fall seasons, when water temperature was below 15°C. It was found that the measured THMFP at Karoon River water in the spring and fall seasons were very rarely higher than 100 μg/L.

Spatial variations of human health risk associated with exposure to chlorination by-products occurring in drinking water

During disinfection, chlorine reacts with organic matter present in drinking water and forms various undesirable chlorinated by-products (CBPs). This paper describes a study of the spatial variability of human health risk (i.e., cancer effects) from CBP exposure through drinking water in a specific region. The region under study involves nine drinking water distribution systems divided into several zones based on their characteristics. The spatial distribution of cancer risk (CR) was estimated using two years of data (2006-2008) on various CBP species. In this analysis, trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) served as surrogates for CBPs. Three possible routes of exposure (i.e., via ingestion, inhalation and dermal contact) were considered for each selected compound. The cancer risk assessment involved estimating a unit risk (R(T)) in each zone of the selected distribution systems. A probabilistic analysis based on Monte Carlo simulations was employed. Risk assessment results showed that cancer risk varied between systems, but also within individual systems. As a result, the population of the same region was not exposed to the same risk associated with CBPs in drinking water. Unacceptable levels (i.e., R(T) > 10(-4)) for the estimated CR were determined for several zones in the studied region. This study demonstrates that a spatial-based analysis performed to represent the spatial distribution of risk estimates can be helpful in identifying suitable risk management strategies. Suggestions for improving the risk analysis procedure are also presented.

Seasonal variation effects on the formation of trihalomethane during chlorination of water from Yangtze River and associated cancer risk assessment

For the system of water samples collected from Yangtze River, the effects of seasonal variation and Fe(III) concentrations on the formation and distribution of trihalomethanes (THMs) during chlorination have been investigated. The corresponding lifetime cancer risk of the formed THMs to human beings was estimated using the parameters and procedure issued by the US EPA. The results indicated that the average concentration of THMs (100.81 microg/L) in spring was significantly higher than that in other seasons, which was related to the higher bromide ion concentration resulted from the intrusion of tidal saltwater. The total cancer risk in spring reached 8.23 x 10(-5) and 8.86 x 10(-5) for males and females, respectively, which were about two times of those in summer under the experimental conditions. Furthermore, it was found that the presence of Fe(III) resulted in the increased level of THMs and greater cancer risk from exposure to humans. Under weak basic conditions, about 10% of the increment of THMs from the water samples in spring was found in the presence of 0.5 mg/L Fe(III) compared with the situation without Fe(III). More attention should be given to the effect of the coexistence of Fe(III) and bromide ions on the risk assessment of human intake of THMs from drinking water should be paid more attention, especially in the coastland and estuaries.

Generation of disinfection by-products (DBPs) at two advanced water treatment plants

A sampling program was conducted to investigate the formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) at two advanced water treatment plants in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. The results in this study can be used as a reference for the operational control of water treatment plants and the setting of regulations in Taiwan. Samples of drinking water were collected from two advanced water treatment plants from June 2007 to April 2008. Changes in the concentration of dissolved organic carbon, the trihalomethane formation potential, and the haloacetic acids formation potential were measured in raw water samples. Variations in the concentrations of trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAA(5)) in finished drinking water were evaluated. The major species of HAA(5) were in the order of dichloroacetic acid and trichloroacetic acid and the THM was of trichloromethane. DOC was strongly related to DBPs in raw water. In this investigation, the removal efficiency of DBPs in Plant A (ultrafiltration/reverse osmosis system) exceeded that in Plant B (ozonation/biological activated carbon system). Both advanced water treatment plants greatly improved the quality of drinking water.

Investigation of the parametar influences of UV/H2O2 process on humic acid degradation

Degradation of the humic acids (HA) in aqueous solution by UV radiation in the presence of H2O2 (UV/H2O2 process) was investigated. Low-pressure mercury vapor lamps with the emission maximum at 253.7 nm were used as a UV light source. Process efficiency was monitored by the UV/VIS spectrophotometric analysis of the HA residual concentration. Without H2O2 presence, UV radiation had negligible effect on the HA in aqueous solutions. The addition of H2O2 greatly improved the efficiency of the HA degradation by UV light and the optimum H2O2 concentration was 0.01 mol dm-3. The UV light intensity, pH value, presence and concentration of the carbonate and nitrate anions were investigated. With the increase of UV light intensity the process efficiency improved. The increase of pH had negative effect on the process efficiency. The presence of carbonate and bicarbonate ions inhibited the HA degradation. The presence of nitrate ions up to the concentration of 5 mmol dm-3 had no significant effect on the process efficiency.

Risk assessment of trihalomethanes from tap water in Fortaleza, Brazil

The cancer risks (CR) by oral ingestion, dermal absorption, and inhalation exposure of trihalomethanes (THM) from tap water of ten districts in Fortaleza, Brazil were estimated. The mean levels of THM compounds were obtained in Fortaleza tap water as follow: 63.9 microg L(-1) for chloroform (CHCl(3)), 40.0 microg L(-1) for bromodichloromethane (CHBrCl(2)), and 15.6 microg L(-1) for dibromochloromethane (CHBr(2)Cl). Bromoform (CHBr(3)) was not detected. The mean CR for THMs in tap water is 3.96 x 10(-4). The results indicate that Fortaleza residents have a higher CR by inhalation than dermal absorption and oral ingestion. The CR for CHCl(3) contributes with 68% as compared with the total CR, followed by CHBrCl(2) (21%), and CHBr(2)Cl (11%). The hazard index (HI) is about ten times lower than unity, not indicating non-cancer effects.

A health risk assessment for exposure to trace metals via drinking water ingestion pathway

A health risk assessment was conducted for exposure to trace metals via drinking water ingestion pathway for Province of Izmir, Turkey. Concentrations of 11 trace metals were measured in drinking waters collected from 100 population weighted random sampling units (houses). The samples were analyzed in atomic absorption spectrometry for arsenic, and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry for Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn. Questionnaires were administered to a participant from each sampling unit to determine drinking water consumption related information and demographics. Exposure and risks were estimated for each individual by direct calculation, and for Izmir population by Monte Carlo simulation. Six trace metals (As, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, and Zn) were detected in >50% of the samples. Concentrations of As and Ni exceeded the corresponding standards in 20% and 58% of the samples, respectively. As a result, arsenic noncarcinogenic risks were higher than the level of concern for 19% of the population, whereas carcinogenic risks were >10(-4) for 46%, and >10(-6) for 90% of the population.

Occurrence of disinfection by-products in low DOC surface waters in Turkey

A total of 29 surface waters from different regions of Turkey were sampled once a month during 2004. Filtered raw water samples were characterized, chlorinated and the concentrations of disinfection by-products (DBPs) were measured. All waters were low in DOC ranging from 0.91 to 4.42 mg/L. The range of annual average trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) concentrations in all waters was 21-189 and 18-149mug/L, respectively. Total mass contributions of halides in THMs and HAAs to absorbable organic halides (AOX) ranged between 10 and 56% in all waters on annual average basis, indicating that significant amounts of other DBPs are being formed in the majority of the tested waters. A strong linear correlation was obtained between the concentrations of THMs and HAAs. Rather poor correlations were found for THMs-AOX and HAAs-AOX levels. For both THMs and HAAs, chlorinated species dominated over brominated ones since the majority of water sources had very low bromide levels. While chloroform and trichloroacetic acid were the major THM and HAA compounds, respectively; the extent of formation and speciation of DBPs varied greatly by season and water source. No consistent general trends were observed in terms of seasonal variations in DBP levels, suggesting that the characteristics of NOM moieties and their chlorine reactivity vary by season in almost all waters tested.

Risk assessment on disinfection by-products of drinking water of different water sources and disinfection processes

The occurrences of trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetics (HAAs) in the water supply in Beijing and Canada were investigated. The concentrations of THMs and HAAs in Beijing and Canada were below the maximum contaminant levels specified by the USEPA and WHO standards. The multi-pathway risk assessment (assessed through oral ingestion, dermal absorption and inhalation exposure to drinking water) was used to assess the cancer risk and the hazard index of THMs and HAAs from fifteen waterworks in Beijing, China and three treatment plants using different disinfection processes in Canada. Residents in Beijing and residents who were served by three treatment plants using different disinfection processes in Canada had a higher risk of cancer through oral ingestion than through the other two pathways. The cancer risk resulted from disinfection by-products (DBPs) was 8.50E-05(for males), 9.25E-05(for females) in Beijing, China, while it was 1.18E-04, 1.44E-04 in Canada. The risk was higher when water treatment plants used surface water source than when they used ground water source and mixture water source in Beijing. The risk showed different changes in three treatment plants using different disinfection processes in Canada. The lifetime cancer risk for THMs followed the order: Plant 2>Plant 1>Plant 3. And, the lifetime cancer risk for HAAs was: Plant 1>Plant 2>Plant 3.

A simple supported liquid hollow fiber membrane microextraction for sample preparation of trihalomethanes in water samples

A simple and efficient liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) technique using a supported liquid hollow fiber membrane, in conjunction with gas chromatography-electron capture detector has been developed for extraction and determination of trihalomethanes (THMs) in water samples. THMs were extracted from water samples through an organic extracting solvent impregnated in the pores and filled inside the porous hollow fiber membrane. Our simple conditions were conducted at 35 degrees C with no stirring and no salt addition in order to minimize sample preparation steps. Parameters such as types of hollow fiber membranes, extracting solvents and extraction time were studied and optimized. The method exhibited enrichment factors ranged from 28- to 62-fold within 30 min extraction time. The linearity of the method ranged from 0.2 to 100 microg l(-1). The limits of detection were in the low microg l(-1) level, ranging between 0.01 and 0.2 microg l(-1). The recoveries of spiked THMs at 5 microg l(-1) in water were between 98 and 105% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 4%. Furthermore, the method was applied for determination of THMs in drinking water and tap water samples was reported.

Chemometrics in monitoring spatial and temporal variations in drinking water quality

This case study reports multivariate techniques applied for the evaluation of temporal/spatial variations and interpretation of monitoring data obtained by the determination of chloro/bromo disinfection by-products in drinking water at 12 locations in the Gdańsk area (Poland), over the period 1993-2000. The complex data matrix (1756 observations) was treated with various multivariate techniques. Cluster analysis (CA) was successful, yielding two different groups of similarity reflecting different types of drinking water supplied (surface and groundwater). The locations supplied in general with groundwater could be further classified into two subgroups, depending on whether the groundwater was mixed with surface water or not. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to classify and thus confirm the groups found by means of cluster analysis and proved the existence of statistically significant differences between the concentration levels of CHCl3, CHBrCl2+C2HCl3, CHBr2Cl, and CH2Cl2 in the samples collected. Of all the variables evaluated, only three were characterized by statistically significant correlations (CHCl3, CHBrCl2+C2HCl3, CHBr2Cl). The analysis of correlation coefficients revealed that chloroform formed as the main chlorinated disinfection by-product and, furthermore, the natural presence of bromide in water (both ground and surface) results in the formation of brominated disinfection by-products (DBPs). Temporal variations of volatile organic chlorinated compounds (VOCls) were also evaluated by multidimensional ANOVA. Observation of temporal changes in the concentration of VOCls at the location supplied with both surface and groundwater reveals a steady improvement in drinking water quality. In general, the study shows the importance of drinking water monitoring in connection with simple but powerful statistical tools to better understand spatial and temporal variations in water quality.