A review of physicochemical and biological contaminants in drinking water and their impacts on human health

Clean drinking water is one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.Despite significant progress in the water purification technology,many regions still lack access to clean water.This paper provides a review of selected water contaminants and their impacts on human health.The World Health Organization(WHO)guidelines and regional standards for key contaminants were used to characterise water quality in the European Union and UK.The concept of safe drinking water was explained based on the non-observed adverse effect level,threshold concentrations for toxic chemicals,and their total daily intake.Various techniques for monitoring water contaminants and the drinking water standards from five different countries,including the UK,USA,Canada,Pakistan and India,were compared to WHO recommended guidelines.The literature on actual water quality in these regions and its potential health impacts was also discussed.Finally,the role of public water suppliers in identifying and monitoring drinking water contaminants in selected developed countries was presented as a potential guideline for developing countries.This review emphasised the need for a comprehensive understanding of water quality and its impacts on human health to ensure access to clean drinking water worldwide.

Comparative Analysis of Chemical, Physical and Biological Contaminants in Drinking Water in Various Developed Countries around the World

Sustaining a reliable and contaminant-free drinking water is becoming an increasing challenge worldwide due to human activity, industrial waste, and agricultural overuse. Surface water is the main source of drinking water around the world. However, groundwater is also becoming increasingly popular, due to its clarity and minimal need for processing to reduce turbidity. Over the years, the demand and growth in the agricultural industry has also been the means of groundwater contamination. Due to the health burden that raw water can pose, water must be processed and purified prior to consumption. Raw water quality can be compromised by physical, chemical (heavy metals and disinfection by-products), and biological contaminants. Biological contaminants can significantly impact immunocompromised populations, while chemical contaminants can impact the growth and development of young children. Although obtaining a steady and high-quality water flow to the general population is an increasing challenge, developed countries have utilized state-of-the-art technologies and techniques to provide contaminant-free water to their citizens. This research aims to provide information about the regulatory parameters, characteristics, and sources of safe drinking water in the world as a model for future use in the developing world. In this, secondary data was used to compare and contrast drinking water quality among countries in the European Union, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The data indicates that Ireland and the United Kingdom have relatively lower amounts of contaminants in their drinking water. Upon completing this research, it is recommended that countries desiring clean drinking water systems should initiate and invest in programs that control and protect treatment plants, water distribution systems, water sources, and catchments.

Relative roles of resuspended particles and pore water in release of contaminants from sediment

Sediment layers containing contaminants play a significant role in environmental hydrodynamics. Experiments were conducted in order to characterize the relative roles of resuspended particles and pore water under different flow and sediment conditions. A conservative tracer （NaC1） and a reactive tracer （phosphate） were used as contaminants in the bottom sediment in a laboratory flume. The mixing between the overlying water and pore water occurred over a short time while the desorption of contaminants from fine-grained resuspended particles lasted a relatively long time. The effects of resuspended particles and pore water on the variations of release flux and concentration of contaminants in water with time under different hydrodynamic conditions were quantified. The results show that pore water dominated the initial release flux, which could be several orders of magnitude greater than the flux due to molecular diffusion. Flux contribution of desorption from sediment particles in the latter release could be equal to what was seen from pore water in the initial stage.

Kinetics of Bioremediation of Oil Contaminated Water Dispersed by Environment-Friendly Bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Fungi (Aspergillus niger)

The comparative effectiveness of remediating water polluted with crude oil, using environment-friendly bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and fungi (Aspergillus niger) were investigated. The samples were separately treated with Aspergillus niger and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The bioremediation kinetic efficiency for these systems was studied. At the end of the bioremediation periods, the oil and grease content of the samples decreased from 47.0 mg/L in the untreated sample to 7.0 mg/L after 20 days when inoculated with bacteria while the sample inoculated with fungi decreased to 10.0 mg/L. Post analysis when inoculated with bacteria showed a fall in the value of the biological oxygen demand (BOD) from 73.84 mg/L to 33.28 mg/L after 20 days, while, the fungi inoculated sample showed a reduction from 73.84 mg/L to 38.48 mg/L. The biodegradation process with the bacteria was consistent with the pseudo-first-order model with a rate constant of 0.0891 day-1, while the biodegradation process with the fungi was consistent with the first order reaction model with a rate constant of 0.422 day-1. The degree of degradation after the 20th day of inoculation with Pseudomonas aeruginosa was 85.11%, while with Aspergillus niger was 78.72%. Thus, the results obtained showed that, Pseudomonas aeruginosa performed better than Aspergillus niger. The bioremediation data with fungi fitted the first-order model, while that of the bacteria fitted the pseudo-first-order model. Therefore, the data obtained in this study could be applied in the design of a bioremediation system for potential application to remediation of crude oil polluted water.

Epidemiological Survey and Analysis on an Outbreak of Gastroenteritis due to Water Contamination

Objective To document the investigation and control of an outbreak of gastroenteritis in City G, South China, and provide a reference for preventing future outbreaks. Methods An ambispective cohort study was designed. Attack rate （AR） and relative risks （RR） were calculated to identify the causes of gastroenteritis. Investigations using questionnaires included personal interviews with patients and doctors, reviews of medical records, laboratory examinations of fecal specimens and continuous hygiene monitoring of water samples from the waterworks. Results Overall, 427/71534 （AR=5.97%o） cases were identified between October 31 and November 12 2010. Geographic distribution was highly localized, with 80% of cases occurring in the areas supplied by waterworks-A. Consumption of water provided solely by waterworks-A was found to be associated with illness （RR=8.20, 95 C1%：6.12-10.99） compared with that from waterworks-B. Microbiological analyses confirmed the presence of Norovirus in six of eight fecal samples from symptomatic patients, two water samples from waterworks-A and two sewage samples. After taking effective measures, the hygienic indices of waterworks-A met health criteria again on November 9 and no cases were reported 3 days later.Conclusion The outbreak reported here was caused by drinking tap water contaminated with sewage at the source. Early identification of possible contamination sources and awareness of changes that might negatively impact water quality are important preventive measures to protect public health.

Metal Contamination in Nullah Dek Water and Accumulation in Rice

A research study was carried out to determine the electrical conductivity （EC）, residual sodium carbonate （RSC）, sodium adsorption ratio （SAR）, pH and metals in metal-polluted irrigation water from a nullah and those in soils over a period of time, and the effect of metals on rice yield and metal concentrations in rice grain and straw. Two sites （I and If） were selected on the bank of Nullah Dek at Thatta Wasiran in Sheikhupura District （Pakistan）, with two rice varieties, Super Basmati and Basmati 385, at both sites. Water samples were collected during rice crop growth at 15-day intervals from August 3 to November 1, 2002. The results showed that Nullah Dek water had an EC 〉1.0 dS m^-1 and RSC of 2.78-4.11 mmolc L^-1, which was hazardous for crops, but the SAR was within the safe limit. Cu, Mn Cd and Sr were also within safe limits. The soil analysis showed that Site Ⅱ was free from salinity/sodicity, whereas Site Ⅰ was saline sodic. Among metals, Zn was sometimes deficient, Cu, Mn and Fe were adequate, and St, Ni and Cd were within safe limits in the soil at both the sites. After the rice crop harvest, concentrations of all metals tested were usually slightly increased, being higher in the upper soil layer than the lower. In addition, Basmati 385 produced higher rice grain and straw yield than Super Basmati. Chemical analysis of rice grain indicated the presence of Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Sr, whereas rice straw contained Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn and Sr, with Cd and Ni both being found in minute quantities.

Synthesis, characterization, and property test of crystalline polyferric sulfate adsorbent used in treatment of contaminated water with a high As(Ⅲ) content

A crystalline polyferric sulfate(PFS) adsorbent was synthesized by oxidizing and precipitating ferrous ions in air atmospheric conditions. The morphology, structure, specific surface area(SSA), and adsorptive efficacy of the adsorbent to As(Ⅲ) were characterized by scanning electron microscope(SEM) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM) images, X-ray diffraction(XRD) patterns, Fourier-transform infrared(FTIR) spectra, BET SSA analyses, and adsorption experiments. The adsorbent showed a near-spherical aggregate structure and had good crystallinity. A significant amount of α-goethite co-precipitated with PFS in the case of the initial ferrous concentration of 1 mol/L and increased SSA of the adsorbent. The stability region of ferric compounds in the process was drawn and applied to analyze the iron behavior during the synthesis. The adsorption of As(Ⅲ) in high As(Ⅲ)-containing solutions fitted the Langmuir isotherm model adequately. The absorbent with co-precipitation of α-goethite showed good adsorbability for As(Ⅲ) and good filtering performance in the high As(Ⅲ)-containing solution of 10–100 mg/L under acidic, neutral, and alkaline conditions(pH 2.09–9.01). After the adsorption process, the stability of the residues bearing As(Ⅲ) was evaluated by toxic characteristic leaching procedure(TCLP) tests. The results indicated that the residues were extremely stable, and the concentrations of arsenic in the leaching solutions were less than 0.01 mg/L.

Water quality,natural chemical weathering and ecological risk assessment of the contaminated area of vanadium ore in Yinhua River,China:Evidence from major ions and trace elements

There are abundant vanadium ores in the Cambrian strata in southern Shaanxi,China.Many years of mining activities and surface leaching have polluted the surface water to a certain extent,but the researches on the water quality characteristics and pollution degree are relatively weak.This contribution was organized to investigate the surface water quality by general parameters,including TDS,Eh,pH,DO,TOC,COD,and EC,in the vanadium ore belt(Yinhua River basin).Major ions were determined to detect the water type and natural chemical weathering,while trace elements were used to illustrate their geochemical characteristics and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals.The study found that the surface water was weakly alkaline and mainly dominated from normal to pool grade.The particle size with1000–10,000 nm of suspended particles was the main carrier of organic matter.The concentration of HCO_(3)^(-)and SO_(4)^(2-)in the anions and Ca^(2+)and Mg^(2+)ions in the cations were relatively high,and the water type was Ca-Mg-HCO_(3)-SO_(4) type.Rock weathering had a great influence on surface water,and the weathering products were mainly silicate and carbonate.Compared with the Type river,the contents of V elements showed an obvious positive anomaly,which may be affected by mining activities of vanadium ore and the annual leaching of the tailings pond.As and Cd in the surface water was polluted seriously.The integrated pollution index suggested that the surface water pollution was serious,and the main stream was more serious with the increasing tailings ponds.

Development of an Ontology-Based Knowledge Network by Interconnecting Soil/Water Concepts/Properties, Derived from Standards Methods and Published Scientific References Outlining Infiltration/Percolation Process of Contaminated Water

The present work deals with the development of an Ontology-Based Knowledge Network of soil/water physicochemical & biological properties (soil/water concepts), derived from ASTM Standard Methods (ASTMi,n) and relevant scientific/applicable references (published papers—PPi,n) to fill up/bridge the gap of the information science between cited Standards and infiltration discipline conceptual vocabulary providing accordingly a dedicated/internal Knowledge Base (KB). This attempt constitutes an innovative approach, since it is based on externalizing domain knowledge in the form of Ontology-Based Knowledge Networks, incorporating standardized methodology in soil engineering. The ontology soil/water concepts (semantics) of the developed network correspond to soil/water physicochemical & biological properties, classified in seven different generations that are distinguished/located in infiltration/percolation process of contaminated water through soil porous media. The interconnections with arcs between corresponding concepts/properties among the consecutive generations are defined by the relationship of dependent and independent variables. All these interconnections are documented according to the below three ways: 1) dependent and independent variables interconnected by using the logical operator “depends on” quoting existent explicit functions and equations;2) dependent and independent variables interconnected by using the logical operator “depends on” quoting produced implicit functions, according to Rayleigh’s method of indices;3) dependent and independent variables interconnected by using the logical operator “related to” based on a logical dependence among the examined nodes-concepts-variables. The aforementioned approach provides significant advantages to semantic web developers and web users by means of prompt knowledge navigation, tracking, retrieval and usage.

Indication of Bacteria in Water Marshes （Southern Iraq）

The study was conducted in water marshes for five major marshes during the months of January, April and September of each region （Hawizeh, Hammer and the central marsh） in southern Iraq. Bacteriological analysis that some of the default pathological bacteria, including TC （Total bacterial count）, FCB （faecal coliform bacteria）, MPN （coliform bacteria） and FS （faecal streptococcus） can evidence to indicate of pollution. The results showed that most of the water samples examined pathological contain bacteria which indicates that the water is unfit for human consumption and the waters as basal （more hydrogen than No. 7）. There was a high salinity more than the permissible limits for human consumption and even to irrigate crops, and the same case for dissolve oxygen which exceeded are other limits as drinking water.

Data Dependent Modeling of New Contamination Cases from Urban Historic Groundwater Records

Groundwater is the water located beneath the earth＇s surface in the soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. As one of the most important natural resources, groundwater is associated with the environment, public health, welfare, and long-term economic growth, which affects the daily activities of human beings. In modern urban areas, the primary contaminants of groundwater are artificial products, such as gasoline and diesel. To protect this important water resource, a series of efforts have been exerted, including enforcement and remedial actions. Each year, the TGPC （Texas Groundwater Protection Committee） in US publishes a ＂Joint Groundwater Monitoring and Contamination Report＂ to describe historic and new contamination cases in each county, which is an important data source for the design of prevention strategies. In this paper, a DDM （data dependent modeling） approach is proposed to predict county-level NCC （new contamination cases）. A case study with contamination information from Harris County in Texas was conducted to illustrate the modeling and prediction process with promising results. The one-step prediction error is 1.5%, while the two-step error is 12.1%. The established model can be used at the county-level, state-level, and even at the country-level. Besides, the prediction results could be a reference during decision-making processes.

Contamination of Water for Domestic Use and Human Consumption by Heavy Metals Derived from Mining Activity in Parral, Chihuahua, Mexico

Research was done with the objective of evaluating the quality of water supplied to the potable water system in Hidalgo Del Parral, which comes from two main supply sources： wells from ＂Valle del Verano＂, which provide water to the east side of the city, and the Water Treatment Plant, which receives water from different mines and supplies the west side of the city. When this plant is overcome on its capacity of treatment, a part of the water from the mines is fed directly to the northwest part of the city. The metals lead （Pb）, chromium （Cr）, cadmium （Cd）, zinc （Zn）, and arsenic （As） were analyzed by atomic absorption （AA） technique, based on the United States Environmental Protection Agency （EPA） Method 7000B （Revision 2, February 2007）. The digestion process was done according to the guidelines established in Method NMX-AA-051-SCFI-2001, Analysis of Water-Determination of Metals by Atomic Absorption, developed by the National Standardization Technical Committee for Environmental Protection （Mexico）. The samples were collected from the following points： 13 wells and 2 re-pumping stations of ＂Valle del Verano＂, the inlet and outlet of the Water Treatment Plant, and domestic faucets. The east side of the city, supplied by the wells of ＂Valle del Verano＂, is metal-pollution free. The water that comes from the mines contains high concentrations of As, Zn, Cd and Pb, with levels that can get to 0.12, 32.6, 0.26 and 3.5 mg/L, respectively. This water pollution generated by mining can be concluded from the high levels found in the domestic samples in which, for several points, the concentrations exceed the parameters set by the current guideline. According to the results, it is vital to set a plan of remediation for the water that comes from the mines, because there is a great risk for health in the consumotion of this water.

Risk of Getting Nosocomial Water-Borne Infections from the Main Water Systems in Hospitals

Drinking water may be a risk factor for human infections if the water supply is contaminated with biofilm producing bacteria such as Legionella pneumophilae or Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Several situations have to be considered when water supply to new buildings is planned. The aim of this paper is to review situations that have to be considered in new buildings and give an example on a new water supply contaminated with biofilm producing water bacteria and the precautions introduced to eliminate the contamination. When new buildings are planned it should be considered where to get the water and what is the microbiological quality of the water. If the water is contaminated there will be troubles from the beginning. The material for the pipes should be considered as biofilm which is produced in greater amounts and faster in PEG pipes than in stainless steel pipes. The choice of material depends on the expected lifetime of the building, the dimensions of the pipes, and the choice of forceps, how often the taps are used and thereby the flow in the system. The higher flow the less and slower biofilm formation. It is important to reduce the number of taps to a minimum to ovoid ＂dead ends＂ if they are not or only seldom used. Alternatively all taps could be opened automatically regularly. It is important to establish precautions to ovoid contamination of the water system in the period from when it is established until the building is taken in use. The period can be several months during which the system can act as a ＂dead end＂ if no precautions, such as regularly opening of all taps, are taken. The microbiological quality of the water in the system should be controlled before the building is taken in use. In a new building, where the water supply and the water in the building was not controlled before the building was taken in use, extremely high total and Legionella germ counts were found. The water was disinfected with low concentrations of chloride with very little effect. After disinfection with high concentrations of chloride for few hours and placing a sterile filter at the water entrance both the total and Legionella germ count decreased to an acceptable level.

Risk of Getting Nosocomial Water-borne Infections from the Main Water Systems in Hospitals

Summary： Drinking water may be a risk factor for human infections if the water supply is contaminated with biofilm producing bacteria such as Legionella pneumophilae or Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Several situations have to be considered when water supply to new buildings is planned. The aim of this paper is to review situations that have to be considered in new buildings and give an example on a new water supply contaminated with biofilm producing water bacteria and the precautions introduced to eliminate the contamination. When new buildings are planned, it should be considered where to get the water and what is the microbiological quality of the water. If the water is contaminated there will be troubles from the beginning. The material for the pipes should be considered as biofilm is produced in greater amounts and faster in PEG pipes than in stainless steel pipes. The choice of material depend on the expected lifetime of the building, the dimensions of the pipes, and the choice of forceps, how often the taps are used and thereby the flow in the system. The higher flow the less and slower biofilm formation. It is important to reduce the number of taps to a minimum to ovoid ＂dead ends＂ if they are not or only seldom used. Alternatively all taps could be opened automatically regularly. It is important to establish precautions to ovoid contamination of the water system in the period from it are established until the building is taken in use. The period can be several month where the system can act as a ＂dead end＂ if no precautions, such as regularly opening of all taps, are taken. The microbiological quality of the water in the system should be controlled before the building is taken in use. In a new building, where the water supply and the water in the building was not controlled before the building was taken in use, extremely high total and Legionella germ counts were found. The water was disinfected with low concentrations of chloride with very little effect. After disinfection with high concentrations of chloride for few hours and placing a sterile filter at the water entrance both the total and Legionella germ count decreased to an acceptable level.

Genotoxicity of Water Extracts from Sewage Effluents in the Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan Using the Novel <i>umu</i>Tester Strain

The genotoxic activities of effluents from drainage water treatment plants were examined by using the novel umu tester strain NM8001, which lacks MutMst genes. To enhance the sensitivity of the LacZ assay, a BugBuster mix protein extraction reagent and TokyoGreen-β Gal for a fluorescence-galactosidase substrate were applied. Of the 24 sampling locations present in Kanagawa prefecture, Japan, water extracts from nine sampling points showed apparent genotoxic activities without metabolic activation. In contrast, water extracts from the upper sites of these water treatment plants did not show any significant genotoxic activities. The selected samples with genotoxic activity did not show significant mutagenicity toward Ames strains TA98 and TA100. Genotoxicity was also well correlated with the activity of a classical umu strain of TA1535/pSK1002;these findings indicate that the genotoxicity induced by oxidative damage was not a significant component of the genotoxicity.

Using Host-Specificity of Cryptosporidium to Understand Contaminant Sources, Seasonality, and Human Health Risk in Three Watersheds of Differing Land-Use

Three tributaries of the Grand River watershed (Ontario, Canada), each representing different watershed types (urban, agricultural/rural, and mixed land-use) were examined to understand the spatial, temporal, and host-source distribution of the waterborne pathogen, Cryptosporidium. Cryptosporidium was frequently found throughout the study (73%, 65/89) with occurrence and concentrations observed to be similar among the varying watershed types. However, applying advanced genotyping techniques, marked differences in dominant host sources could be observed in each watershed. The agricultural/rural and mixed land-use watersheds were dominated by genotypes typically associated with cattle (i.e., C. andersoni), while the urban watershed had the highest diversity of Cryptosporidium genotypes with a variety of wildlife as the common source of contamination (e.g., muskrat and cervine genotypes). A similar seasonal trend observed in the urban, agricultural, and mixed land-use watershed suggests that factors beyond specific land use activities (e.g. autumn manure spreading) may influence the timing and concentration of Cryptosporidium in these streams. Corresponding genotyping results provided additional insight into source inputs during these seasonal peaks, indicating that wildlife may be important seasonal contributors to Cryptosporidium contamination in these streams. Despite the abundance of Cryptosporidium in these watersheds, most of the genotypes observed were of limited human health importance. This study provides evidence regarding the significance of including genotyping results into studies examining waterborne Cryptosporidium. Using this technique can provide a greater understanding of the risk to the population using water sources, as well as provide insight into the probable sources and timing of contamination. This ancillary information can contribute to implementation of targeted management strategies to further protect sources of drinking water and recreation areas.

An Optimal Model of the Total Amount Allocation for Surface Water Pollutants Based on the Principles of Equity and Efficiency

The control of total water pollutant amount is an effective method to improve quality of the groundwater, but how to allocate the total amount is an important and difficult work. In this paper, equity and efficiency were bases of the total amount allocation. Took total amount allocation of the surface water pollutant in a car manufacturing group as an example, the current emissions and unit of output value as the bases for cluster analysis, the target unit was divided into ＂key reduction unit＂ and ＂concern reduction unit＂. Then, allocation scheme of the total amount was prepared. This model for research and improvement of the feasibility for total pollutant amount allocation technique has certain reference value.

Examining Adsorbent Charge Effect on Metal Removal from Contaminated Water

Heavy metal contaminated water sources can cause serious health problems for humans,animals,and plants.Heavy metals can lead to the decrease or loss of liver,kidney,and brain function.Objective:The aim of this research is to examine the effect of charge on adsorbents in the removal of metal cations.Study Design&Methods:Standard solutions of Ca,Cu,Pb,and Zn with concentrations of 1,000 ppm were treated with sodium carbonate and sodium phosphate with various charges.Then,the solutions were placed on a shaker for 24 h,centrifuged,and the supernatant was analyzed using ICP-AES(Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry).Results:The order of average metal removal by sodium phosphates is:dibasic(99.3%)>monobasic(96.5%)>tribasic(95.4%).The average metal removal by sodium carbonate and bicarbonate is 98.5% and 96.4% respectively.Conclusion:The adsorbent removability depends on the relationship between the charge present on the metal and the charge on the adsorbent.Thus,metal cations in this study with a+2 charge had a greater affinity for the adsorbent with-2 charged ligands,dibasic sodium phosphate and sodium carbonate.

Molecular Biological Detection of Biological Pollution in Water Environment

Water is contaminated mainly by chemical, physical and biological pollutants. At present, domestic reports on biological pollution of water environment are much less. Biological pollution in water environment pollution which is stable and infectious is the main part of water pollution. To fastly and accuratly detecte biological contamination of the water environment is extremely important for the control of disease outbreaks and water quality protection and public health security. This paper systematically introduces the research progress in biological water environment pollution detection methods in molecular biology aquatic environment, and explore molecular biology methods in the detection of biological contamination in water environment problems and trends.