Enteric virus infection risk from intrusion of sewage into a drinking water distribution network

Contaminants from the soil surrounding drinking water distribution systems are thought to not enter the drinking water when sufficient internal pressure is maintained. Pressure transients may cause short intervals of negative pressure, and the soil near drinking water pipes often contains fecal material due to the proximity of sewage lines, so that a pressure event may cause intrusion of pathogens. This paper presents a risk model for predicting intrusion and dilution of viruses and their transport to consumers. Random entry and dilution of virus was simulated by embedding the hydraulic model into a Monte Carlo simulation. Special attention was given to adjusting for the coincidence of virus presence and use of tap water, as independently occurring short-term events within the longer interval that the virus is predicted to travel in any branch of the distribution system. The probability that a consumer drinks water contaminated with virus is small, but when this happens the virus concentration tends to be high and the risk of infection may be considerable. The spatial distribution of infection risk is highly heterogeneous. The presence of a chlorine residual reduces the infection risk.     

Tracking the concentration of heterotrophic plate count bacteria from the source to the consumer's tap

The goal of this project was to quantify the concentration of heterotrophic plate count (HPC) bacteria within water reaching consumer's taps, and from the sources used by a major utility serving the City of Tucson, AZ. With this information, the amounts and sources of HPC bacteria consumed at the tap could be determined. Samples of water were collected on a monthly basis from two well fields, the CAVSARP recovery well field and Southern Avra Valley well field which serves as one of the groundwater sources for Tucson, AZ, and the distribution system which serves the same homes from which tap water was also tested. The average concentration of HPC in source waters within Southern Avra Valley Wells was 56 CFU/ml (range 1-1995/ml). From the CAVSARP recovery well field, corresponding values were 38 CFU/ml (1 to 502 CFU/ml). Unblended groundwater in the chlorinated distribution system averaged 22 CFU/ml (range 1-794). Blended water at the chlorinated distribution site averaged 47 CFU/ml (range 10-158). There was a major shift in the percentage of gram negative to gram-positive bacteria from the wells to the distribution system, to the tap. In the surface CAP source water, 76% of the bacteria were gram-negative compared to 27% gram-negative in the CAVSARP recovery wells. In contrast, Avra Valley wells contained 17% gram-negative bacteria. In both the Tucson groundwater distribution sites and blended distribution sites, the corresponding number of gram negative bacteria was 12%. Finally at the tap, only 0.2% of the bacteria were gram-negative. The average number of bacteria in household taps averaged 3072 HPC/ml and was equal or greater than 500 ml 68% of the time. This study shows that the number of HPC bacteria increases dramatically from the distribution system to the consumers tap. Thus, the major source of bacteria ingested by the average consumer in Tucson originates from bacteria within the household distribution system or the household tap, rather than from source waters or the distribution system. It is also clear that consumers' regularly consume more than 500 HPC/ml from drinking water taken from the household tap.     

北京市社区人群急性胃肠炎患病状况流行病学调查

目的了解北京市社区人群急性胃肠炎的患病状况及其流行特征。方法 2012年4月至2013年3月,采用多阶段抽样方法从北京市6个区抽取部分调查户,每月入户调查其过去4周内急性胃肠炎发病情况及危险因素等内容。结果 12个月共调查10 204人,人群急性胃肠炎月患病率为1.25%(95%CI:1.04~1.47),发病率为0.16次/人年,加权患病率为1.34%(95%CI:1.12~1.56),加权发病率为0.17次/人年,估计北京市每年有333.4万人罹患急性胃肠炎。多因素分析结果显示,年龄、文化程度和季节与急性胃肠炎发病有关。58.59%的急性胃肠炎患者怀疑其发病可能为食源性途径。结论北京市急性胃肠炎的疾病负担值得关注,且食源性比例较高,应开展进一步研究准确评估食源性疾病负担。     

Screening-level risk assessment of Coxiella burnetii (Q fever) transmission via aeration of drinking water

A screening-level risk assessment of Q fever transmission through drinking water produced from groundwater in the vicinity of infected goat barnyards that employed aeration of the water was performed. Quantitative data from scientific literature were collected and a Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment approach was followed. An exposure model was developed to calculate the dose to which consumers of aerated groundwater are exposed through aerosols inhalation during showering. The exposure assessment and hazard characterization were integrated in a screening-level risk characterization using a dose-response model for inhalation to determine the risk of Q fever through tap water. A nominal range sensitivity analysis was performed. The estimated risk of disease was lower than 10(-4) per person per year (pppy), hence the risk of transmission of C. burnetii through inhalation of drinking water aerosols is very low. The sensitivity analysis shows that the most uncertain parameters are the aeration process, the transport of C. burnetii in bioaerosols via the air, the aerosolization of C. burnetii in the shower, and the air filtration efficiency. The risk was compared to direct airborne exposure of persons in the vicinity of infected goat farms; the relative risk of exposure through inhalation of drinking water aerosols was 0.002%.     

Chloroacetanilide herbicide metabolites in Wisconsin groundwater: 2001 survey results

A survey of agricultural chemicals in Wisconsin groundwater was conducted between October 2000 and April 2001 to obtain a current picture of agricultural chemicals in groundwater used for private drinking water. A stratified, random sampling procedure was used to select 336 sampling locations. Water from private drinking water wells randomly selected from within the 336 sampling locations was analyzed for 18 compounds including herbicides, herbicide metabolites, and nitrate. This report focuses on the frequency and concentration of chloroacetanilide herbicides and their metabolites. Analysis of data resulted in an estimated proportion of 38+/-5.0% of wells that contained detectable levels of a herbicide or herbicide metabolite. The most commonly detected compound was alachlor ESA with a proportion estimate of 28+/-4.6%. Other detected compounds in order of prevalence were metolachlor ESA, metolachlor OA, alachlor OA, acetochlor ESA, and parent alachlor. Estimates of the mean concentration for the detects ranged from 0.15+/-0.082 microg/L for acetochlor ESA to 1.8+/-0.60 microg/L for alachlor OA. Water quality standards have not been developed for these chloroacetanilide herbicide metabolites. The results of this survey emphasize the need for toxicological assessments of herbicide metabolite compounds and establishment of water quality standards at the state and federal levels.     

Vulnerability of water distribution systems to pathogen intrusion: how effective is a disinfectant residual?

Can the spread of infectious disease through water distribution systems be halted by a disinfectant residual? This question is overdue for an answer. Regulatory agencies and water utilities have long been concerned about accidental intrusions of pathogens into distribution system pipelines (i.e., cross-connections) and are increasingly concerned about deliberate pathogen contamination. Here, a simulation framework is developed and used to assess the vulnerability of a water system to microbiological contamination. The risk of delivering contaminated water to consumers is quantified by a network water quality model that includes disinfectant decay and disinfection kinetics. The framework is applied to two example networks under a worst-case deliberate intrusion scenario. Results show that the risk of consumer exposure is affected by the residual maintenance strategy employed. The common regulation that demands a "detectable" disinfectant residual may not provide effective consumer protection against microbial contamination. A chloramine residual, instead of free chlorine, may significantly weaken this final barrier against pathogen intrusions. Moreover, the addition of a booster station at storage tanks may improve consumer protection without requiring excessive disinfectant.     

Assessing the microbiological performance and potential cost of boiling drinking water in urban Zambia

Boiling is the most common method of disinfecting water in the home and the benchmark against which other point-of-use water treatment is measured. In a six-week study in peri-urban Zambia, we assessed the microbiological effectiveness and potential cost of boiling among 49 households without a water connection who reported "always" or "almost always" boiling their water before drinking it. Source and household drinking water samples were compared weekly for thermotolerant coliforms (TTC), an indicator of fecal contamination. Demographics, costs, and other information were collected through surveys and structured observations. Drinking water samples taken at the household (geometric mean 7.2 TTC/100 mL, 95% CI, 5.4-9.7) were actually worse in microbiological quality than source water (geometric mean 4.0 TTC/100 mL, 95% CI, 3.1-5.1) (p < 0.001), although both are relatively low levels of contamination. Only 60% of drinking water samples were reported to have actually been boiled at the time of collection from the home, suggesting over-reporting and inconsistent compliance. However, these samples were of no higher microbiological quality. Evidence suggests that water quality deteriorated after boiling due to lack of residual protection and unsafe storage and handling. The potential cost of fuel or electricity for boiling was estimated at 5% and 7% of income, respectively. In this setting where microbiological water quality was relatively good at the source, safe-storage practices that minimize recontamination may be more effective in managing the risk of disease from drinking water at a fraction of the cost of boiling.     

Quantitative risk assessment of noroviruses in drinking water based on qualitative data in Japan

Noroviruses are one of the major causes of viral gastroenteritis in Japan. A quantitative risk assessment was conducted to evaluate the health risk caused by this virus in drinking water. A Monte Carlo analysis was used to calculate both the probability of infection and the disease burden using disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). The concentration of noroviruses in tap water was estimated based on qualitative data and a most probable number (MPN) method with an assumed Poisson lognormal distribution. This numerical method was evaluated using two sets of available count data of Cryptosporidium: that collected from a river and that found in tap water in Japan. The dose-response relationships for noroviruses were estimated using assumed ID50 (10 or 100). The annual risk was higher than the US-EPA acceptable level (10(-4) [infection/ person-year]) but around the WHO level (10(-6) [DALYs/ person-year]). As suggested by others, since microbial concentrations are generally lognormally distributed, the arithmetic mean was directly related to the annual risk, suggesting that the arithmetic mean is more useful in representing the degree of microbial contamination than the geometric mean.     

Modeling the probability of arsenic in groundwater in New England as a tool for exposure assessment

We developed a process-based model to predict the probability of arsenic exceeding 5 microg/L in drinking water wells in New England bedrock aquifers. The model is being used for exposure assessment in an epidemiologic study of bladder cancer. One important study hypothesis that may explain increased bladder cancer risk is elevated concentrations of inorganic arsenic in drinking water. In eastern New England, 20-30% of private wells exceed the arsenic drinking water standard of 10 micrograms per liter. Our predictive model significantly improves the understanding of factors associated with arsenic contamination in New England. Specific rock types, high arsenic concentrations in stream sediments, geochemical factors related to areas of Pleistocene marine inundation and proximity to intrusive granitic plutons, and hydrologic and landscape variables relating to groundwater residence time increase the probability of arsenic occurrence in groundwater. Previous studies suggest that arsenic in bedrock groundwater may be partly from past arsenical pesticide use. Variables representing historic agricultural inputs do not improve the model, indicating that this source does not significantly contribute to current arsenic concentrations. Due to the complexity of the fractured bedrock aquifers in the region, well depth and related variables also are not significant predictors.     

Are oral contraceptives a significant contributor to the estrogenicity of drinking water?

Recent observed feminization of aquatic animals has raised concerns about estrogenic compounds in water supplies and the potential for these chemicals to reach drinking water. Public perception frequently attributes this feminization to oral contraceptives (OCs) in wastewater and raises concerns that exposure to OCs in drinking water may contribute to the recent rise in human reproductive problems. This paper reviews the literature regarding various sources of estrogens, in surface, source and drinking water, with an emphasis on the active molecule that comes from OCs. It includes discussion of the various agricultural, industrial, and municipal sources and outlines the contributions of estrogenic chemicals to the estrogenicity of waterways and estimates that the risk of exposure to synthetic estrogens in drinking water on human health is negligible. This paper also provides recommendations for strategies to better understand all the potential sources of estrogenic compounds in the environment and possibilities to reduce the levels of estrogenic chemicals in the water supply.     

Arsenic in groundwater in eastern New England: occurrence,controls, and human health implications

In eastern New England, high concentrations (greater than 10 microg/L) of arsenic occur in groundwater. Privately supplied drinking water from bedrock aquifers often has arsenic concentrations at levels of concern to human health, whereas drinking water from unconsolidated aquifers is least affected by arsenic contamination. Water from wells in metasedimentary bedrock units, primarily in Maine and New Hampshire, has the highest arsenic concentrations-nearly 30% of wells in these aquifers produce water with arsenic concentrations greater than 10 microg/L. Arsenic was also found at concentrations of 3-40 mg/kg in whole rock samples in these formations, suggesting a possible geologic source. Arsenic is most common in groundwater with high pH. High pH is related to groundwater age and possibly the presence of calcite in bedrock. Ion exchange in areas formerly inundated by seawater also may increase pH. Wells sampled twice during periods of 1-10 months have similar arsenic concentrations (slope = 0.89; r-squared = 0.97). On the basis of water-use information for the aquifers studied, about 103,000 people with private wells could have water supplies with arsenic at levels of concern (greater than 10 microg/L) for human health.     

家用料理机Cr和Mn迁移规律及风险估计研究

目的研究市售家用料理机中重金属Cr和Mn迁移规律并对其进行风险评估。方法以市售家用料理机为研究对象,对不同材质料理机在不同的食品模拟物体系中(去离子水,4%乙酸溶液,10%乙醇溶液,50%乙醇溶液)重金属Cr和Mn向食品体系的迁移过程进行动力学分析与扩散模型分析,将Cr和Mn迁出浓度与我国现有标准中重金属限量值进行比较。结果在Cr和Mn迁出风险较高的4%乙酸溶液中,其迁移行为符合一级动力学过程,短期接触时部分迁移符合Fick扩散过程,长期接触时均符合Fick扩散过程。当迁移达到平衡时,4种模拟液中Cr和Mn元素的迁出浓度均低于生活饮用水中限量值。结论 Fick第二定律能较好地应用于料理机中Cr和Mn的迁移研究,在日常使用条件下料理机中Cr和Mn的迁移危害风险较低。     

Exposures to transit and other sources of noise among New York City residents

To evaluate the contributions of common noise sources to total annual noise exposures among urban residents and workers, we estimated exposures associated with five common sources (use of mass transit, occupational and nonoccupational activities, MP3 player and stereo use, and time at home and doing other miscellaneous activities) among a sample of over 4500 individuals in New York City (NYC). We then evaluated the contributions of each source to total noise exposure and also compared our estimated exposures to the recommended 70 dBA annual exposure limit. We found that one in ten transit users had noise exposures in excess of the recommended exposure limit from their transit use alone. When we estimated total annual exposures, 90% of NYC transit users and 87% of nonusers exceeded the recommended limit. MP3 player and stereo use, which represented a small fraction of the total annual hours for each subject on average, was the primary source of exposure among the majority of urban dwellers we evaluated. Our results suggest that the vast majority of urban mass transit riders may be at risk of permanent, irreversible noise-induced hearing loss and that, for many individuals, this risk is driven primarily by exposures other than occupational noise.     

Do free-living amoebae in treated drinking water systems present an emerging health risk?

There is an expanding body of evidence that free-living amoebae (FLA) increase both the numbers and virulence of water-based, human-pathogenic, amoeba-resisting microorganisms (ARM). Legionella spp., Mycobacterium spp., and other opportunistic human pathogens are known to be both ARM and also the etiologic agents of potentially fatal human lung infections. However, comparatively little is known about the FLA that may facilitate ARM growth in drinking water. This review examines the available literature on FLA in treated drinking water systems; in total 26 studies from 18 different countries. FLA were reported to breakthrough the water treatment barrier and enter distribution systems, in addition to the expected post-treatment system ingress. Once in the distribution system there is evidence of FLA colonization and regrowth especially in reservoirs and in-premise plumbing storage tanks. At the point of use the average FLA detection rate was 45% but highly variable (n = 16, σ = 31) due to both differences in both assay methods and the type of water systems examined. This review reveals that FLA are consistently detected in treated drinking water systems around the world and present a yet unquantified emerging health risk. However, more research is urgently required before accurate risks assessments can be undertaken to assess the impacts on human health, in households and institutions, due to exposure to FLA facilitated pathogenic ARM.     

湖南省桶装饮用水中铜绿假单胞菌膳食暴露风险评估

目的对桶装饮用水中铜绿假单胞菌的膳食暴露进行风险评估。方法依据湖南省2017年3月～12月桶装饮用水的抽检监测数据,以桶装饮用水出厂后为起点,以最终饮用完为终点,采用蒙特卡罗模拟技术,运用@risk5.5风险评估软件对铜绿假单胞菌进行膳食暴露风险评估。结果正常人群按照《中国居民膳食指南(2016版)》推荐的饮水量,且饮用水的来源全部为未经烧开的桶装饮用水,铜绿假单胞菌平均摄入量为32 CFU,大部分的消费者(众数)摄入量为0.06 CFU,摄入量大于0.15 CFU的概率为3.1%,消费者的感染概率平均值为2.4×10~(-8)。结论通过对湖南省桶装饮用水中铜绿假单胞菌的膳食风险暴露评估可知,该菌在饮用水摄入途径上,总体上处于安全水平。     

UV disinfection of Giardia lamblia cysts in water

The human and animal pathogen Giardia lamblia is a waterborne risk to public health because the cysts are ubiquitous and persistent in water and wastewater, not completely removed by physical-chemical treatment processes, and relatively resistant to chemical disinfection. Given the recently recognized efficacy of UV irradiation against Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts, the inactivation of G. lamblia cysts in buffered saline water at pH 7.3 and room temperature by near monochromatic (254 nm) UV irradiation from low-pressure mercury vapor lamps was determined using a "collimated beam" exposure system. Reduction of G. lamblia infectivity for gerbils was very rapid and extensive, reaching a detection limit of >4 log within a dose of 10 JM-2. The ability of UV-irradiated G. lamblia cysts to repair UV-induced damage following typical drinking water and wastewater doses of 160 and 400 JM(-2) was also investigated using experimental protocols typical for bacterial and eucaryotic DNA repair under both light and dark conditions. The infectivity reduction of G. lamblia cysts at these UV doses remained unchanged after exposure to repair conditions. Therefore, no phenotypic evidence of either light or dark repair of DNA damage caused by LP UV irradiation of cysts was observed at the UV doses tested. We conclude that UV disinfection at practical doses achieves appreciable (much greater than 4 log) inactivation of G. lamblia cysts in water with no evidence of DNA repair leading to infectivity reactivation.     

Characterization of new nitrosamines in drinking water using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a member of a group of probable human carcinogens, has been detected as a disinfection byproduct (DBP) in drinking water supplies in Canada and the United States. To comprehensively investigate the occurrence of possible nitrosamines in drinking water supplies, a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry technique was developed to detect both thermally stable and unstable nitrosamines. This technique consisted of solid-phase extraction (SPE), liquid chromatography (LC) separation, and tandem quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometry (MS/MS) detection. It enabled the determination of sub-ng/L levels of nine nitrosamines. Isotope-labeled N-nitrosodimethylamine-d6 (NDMA-d6) was used as the surrogate standard for determining recovery, and N-nitrosodi-n-propylamine-dl4 (NDPA-dl4) was used as the internal standard for quantification. The method detection limits were estimated to be 0.1-10.6 ng/L, and the average recoveries were 41-111% for the nine nitrosamines; of these, NDMA, N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPyr), N-nitrosopiperidine (NPip), and N-nitrosodiphenylamine (NDPhA) were identified and quantified in drinking water samples collected from four locations within the same distribution system. In general, the concentrations of these four nitrosamines in this distribution system increased with increasing distance from the water treatment plant, indicating that the amount of formation was greater than the amount of decomposition within this time frame. The identification of NPip and NDPhA in drinking water systems and the distribution profiles of these nitrosamines have not been reported previously. These nitrosamines are toxic, and their presence as DBPs in drinking water may have toxicological relevance.     

Differential toxicity of drinking water disinfected with combinations of ultraviolet radiation and chlorine

Alternative technologies to disinfect drinking water such as ultraviolet (UV) disinfection are becoming more widespread. The benefits of UV disinfection include reduced risk of microbial pathogens such as Cryptosporidium and reduced production of regulated drinking water disinfection byproducts (DBPs). The objective of this research was to determine if mammalian cell cytotoxicity and genotoxicity varied in response to different chlorination protocols with and without polychromatic medium pressure UV (MPUV) and monochromatic low pressure UV (LPUV) disinfection technologies. The specific aims were to analyze the mammalian cell cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of concentrated organic fractions from source water before and after chlorination and to determine the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of the concentrated organic fractions from water samples treated with UV alone or UV before or after chlorination. Exposure of granular activated carbon-filtered Ohio River water to UV alone resulted in the lowest levels of mammalian cell cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. With combinations of UV and chlorine, the lowest levels of cytotoxicity and genotoxicity were observed with MPUV radiation. The best combined UV plus chlorine methodology that generated the lowest cytotoxicity and genotoxicity employed chlorination first followed by MPUV radiation. These data may prove important in the development of multibarrier methods of pathogen inactivation of drinking water, while limiting unintended toxic consequences.     

Predicted intake of trace elements and minerals via household drinking water by 6-year-old children from Krakow, Poland. Part 3: aluminium

In order to assess aluminium intake via drinking water by children, approximately 400 households in urban, peripheral, and rural areas were investigated. The study comprised about 200 children (5-7 years old) in the period between 2000 and 2001. The samples of drinking water were collected by a double sampling method (morning and evening). Aluminium was measured by graphite furnace-atomic absorption spectroscopy (GF-AAS). Geometric means (microg l(-1), confidence interval) were for evening samples: urban 72.5 (13.2-398), peripheral 6.3 (0.5-86.7), and rural 16.6 (0.5-593). For most households the aluminium concentration in the morning samples was lowered by about 40% due to deposition of aluminium-containing compounds during standing overnight. These deposits can be later taken up into the water. The European Commission aluminium limit of 200 microg l(-1) for drinking water was exceeded for 7.7, 0 and 13.2% of households from urban, peripheral, and rural areas, respectively. The predicted contribution of drinking water to aluminium intake by 6-year-old children was 3.81 microg day(-1) kg body weight(-1) or 2.7% of the provisional tolerable weakly intake (PTWI. 1 mg kg(-1) body weight) for urban sites and less for the others. For those cases exceeding the aluminium limit, the predicted aluminium intake via water consumption was 18.4-42.1 microg day(-1) kg body weight(-1) and contributed 12.8-29.5% of the provisional tolerable weakly intake. In urban areas the aluminium concentration was enhanced due to water treatment; while in rural sites it was due to contamination from cement-made wells. The high prevalence of cement wells in rural areas suggests that drinking water from individual sources should be included in a safety control system. The quality of materials for the construction of wells and containers for drinking water storage should be also improved. In order to limit aluminium intake from drinking water, this study also supports the suggestion of discarding overnight standing water before it is taken for consumption, especially for use by children.     

Predicted intake of trace elements and minerals via household drinking water by 6-year-old children from Krakow, Poland. Part 3: aluminium.

In order to assess aluminium intake via drinking water by children, approximately 400 households in urban, peripheral, and rural areas were investigated. The study comprised about 200 children (5-7 years old) in the period between 2000 and 2001. The samples of drinking water were collected by a double sampling method (morning and evening). Aluminium was measured by graphite furnace-atomic absorption spectroscopy (GF-AAS). Geometric means (microg l(-1), confidence interval) were for evening samples: urban 72.5 (13.2-398), peripheral 6.3 (0.5-86.7), and rural 16.6 (0.5-593). For most households the aluminium concentration in the morning samples was lowered by about 40% due to deposition of aluminium-containing compounds during standing overnight. These deposits can be later taken up into the water. The European Commission aluminium limit of 200 microg l(-1) for drinking water was exceeded for 7.7, 0 and 13.2% of households from urban, peripheral, and rural areas, respectively. The predicted contribution of drinking water to aluminium intake by 6-year-old children was 3.81 microg day(-1) kg body weight(-1) or 2.7% of the provisional tolerable weakly intake (PTWI. 1 mg kg(-1) body weight) for urban sites and less for the others. For those cases exceeding the aluminium limit, the predicted aluminium intake via water consumption was 18.4-42.1 microg day(-1) kg body weight(-1) and contributed 12.8-29.5% of the provisional tolerable weakly intake. In urban areas the aluminium concentration was enhanced due to water treatment; while in rural sites it was due to contamination from cement-made wells. The high prevalence of cement wells in rural areas suggests that drinking water from individual sources should be included in a safety control system. The quality of materials for the construction of wells and containers for drinking water storage should be also improved. In order to limit aluminium intake from drinking water, this study also supports the suggestion of discarding overnight standing water before it is taken for consumption, especially for use by children.