Reconnaissance of mixed organic and inorganic chemicals in private and public supply tapwaters at selected residential and workplace sites in the United States
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Abstract
Safe drinking water at the point-of-use (tapwater, TW) is a United States public health priority. Multiple lines of evidence were used to evaluate potential human health concerns of 482 organics and 19 inorganics in TW from 13 (7 public supply, 6 private well self-supply) home and 12 (public supply) workplace locations in 11 states. Only uranium (61.9 μg L–1, private well) exceeded a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation maximum contaminant level (MCL: 30 μg L–1). Lead was detected in 23 samples (MCL goal: zero). Seventy-five organics were detected at least once, with median detections of 5 and 17 compounds in self-supply and public supply samples, respectively (corresponding maxima: 12 and 29). Disinfection byproducts predominated in public supply samples, comprising 21% of all detected and 6 of the 10 most frequently detected. Chemicals designed to be bioactive (26 pesticides, 10 pharmaceuticals) comprised 48% of detected organics. Site-specific cumulative exposure–activity ratios (∑EAR) were calculated for the 36 detected organics with ToxCast data. Because these detections are fractional indicators of a largely uncharacterized contaminant space, ∑EAR in excess of 0.001 and 0.01 in 74 and 26% of public supply samples, respectively, provide an argument for prioritized assessment of cumulative effects to vulnerable populations from trace-level TW exposures.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Reconnaissance of mixed organic and inorganic chemicals in private and public supply tapwaters at selected residential and workplace sites in the United States |
| Series title | Environmental Science & Technology |
| DOI | 10.1021/acs.est.8b04622 |
| Volume | 52 |
| Issue | 23 |
| Year Published | 2018 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | American Chemical Society |
| Contributing office(s) | California Water Science Center, Colorado Water Science Center, Iowa Water Science Center, Kansas Water Science Center, Leetown Science Center, Michigan Water Science Center, National Water Quality Laboratory, New Jersey Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, South Carolina Water Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Toxic Substances Hydrology Program, South Atlantic Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center |
| Description | 14 p. |
| First page | 13972 |
| Last page | 13985 |
| Country | United States |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |