Tapwater exposures, effects potential, and residential risk management in Northern Plains Nations
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Abstract
In the United States (US), private-supply tapwater (TW) is rarely monitored. This data gap undermines individual/community risk-management decision-making, leading to an increased probability of unrecognized contaminant exposures in rural and remote locations that rely on private wells. We assessed point-of-use (POU) TW in three northern plains Tribal Nations, where ongoing TW arsenic (As) interventions include expansion of small community water systems and POU adsorptive-media treatment for Strong Heart Water Study participants. Samples from 34 private-well and 22 public-supply sites were analyzed for 476 organics, 34 inorganics, and 3 in vitro bioactivities. 63 organics and 30 inorganics were detected. Arsenic, uranium (U), and lead (Pb) were detected in 54%, 43%, and 20% of samples, respectively. Concentrations equivalent to public-supply maximum contaminant level(s) (MCL) were exceeded only in untreated private-well samples (As 47%, U 3%). Precautionary health-based screening levels were exceeded frequently, due to inorganics in private supplies and chlorine-based disinfection byproducts in public supplies. The results indicate that simultaneous exposures to co-occurring TW contaminants are common, warranting consideration of expanded source, point-of-entry, or POU treatment(s). This study illustrates the importance of increased monitoring of private-well TW, employing a broad, environmentally informative analytical scope, to reduce the risks of unrecognized contaminant exposures.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Tapwater exposures, effects potential, and residential risk management in Northern Plains Nations |
| Series title | Environmental Science and Technology Water |
| DOI | 10.1021/acsestwater.2c00293 |
| Volume | 2 |
| Issue | 10 |
| Year Published | 2022 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | American Chemical Society |
| Contributing office(s) | South Atlantic Water Science Center |
| Description | 17 p. |
| First page | 1772 |
| Last page | 1788 |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Dakota, South Dakota |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |