scholarly journals A review of nitrates in drinking water: maternal exposure and adverse reproductive and developmental outcomes

2007 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 153-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deana M. Manassaram ◽  
Lorraine C. Backer ◽  
Deborah M. Moll
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Epidemiologic Studies ◽  
Maternal Exposure ◽  
Sufficient Evidence ◽  
Current Standard ◽  
Epidemiologic Evidence ◽  
Reproductive Effects ◽  
Public Water Systems

In this review, we present an update on maternal exposure to nitrates in drinking water in relation to possible adverse reproductive and developmental effects, and discuss nitrates in drinking water in the United States. The current standard for nitrates in drinking water is based on retrospective studies and approximates a level that protects infants from methemoglobinemia, but no safety factor is built into the standard. The current standard applies only to public water systems. Animal studies have found adverse reproductive effects resulting from higher doses of nitrate or nitrite. The epidemiologic evidence of a direct exposure-response relationship between drinking water nitrate level and adverse reproductive effect is still not clear. However, some reports have suggested an association between exposure to nitrates in drinking water and spontaneous abortions, intrauterine growth restriction, and various birth defects. Uncertainties in epidemiologic studies include the lack of individual exposure assessment that would rule out confounding of the exposure with some other cause. We conclude that the current literature does not provide sufficient evidence of a causal relationship between exposure to nitrates in drinking water and adverse reproductive effects.

scholarly journals An approach for developing a national estimate of waterborne disease due to drinking water and a national estimate model application

2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (S2) ◽  
pp. 201-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Messner ◽  
Susan Shaw ◽  
Stig Regli ◽  
Ken Rotert ◽  
Valerie Blank ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Water System ◽  
Credible Interval ◽  
The United States ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Epidemiologic Studies ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Waterborne Disease ◽  
Public Water Systems

In this paper, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presents an approach and a national estimate of drinking water related endemic acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) that uses information from epidemiologic studies. There have been a limited number of epidemiologic studies that have measured waterborne disease occurrence in the United States. For this analysis, we assume that certain unknown incidence of AGI in each public drinking water system is due to drinking water and that a statistical distribution of the different incidence rates for the population served by each system can be estimated to inform a mean national estimate of AGI illness due to drinking water. Data from public water systems suggest that the incidence rate of AGI due to drinking water may vary by several orders of magnitude. In addition, data from epidemiologic studies show AGI incidence due to drinking water ranging from essentially none (or less than the study detection level) to a rate of 0.26 cases per person-year. Considering these two perspectives collectively, and associated uncertainties, EPA has developed an analytical approach and model for generating a national estimate of annual AGI illness due to drinking water. EPA developed a national estimate of waterborne disease to address, in part, the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments. The national estimate uses best available science, but also recognizes gaps in the data to support some of the model assumptions and uncertainties in the estimate. Based on the model presented, EPA estimates a mean incidence of AGI attributable to drinking water of 0.06 cases per year (with a 95% credible interval of 0.02–0.12). The mean estimate represents approximately 8.5% of cases of AGI illness due to all causes among the population served by community water systems. The estimated incidence translates to 16.4 million cases/year among the same population. The estimate illustrates the potential usefulness and challenges of the approach, and provides a focus for discussions of data needs and future study designs. Areas of major uncertainty that currently limit the usefulness of the approach are discussed in the context of the estimate analysis.

The Potential Preventive Effects of Vitamins for Cataract and Age-Related Macular Degeneration

1999 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 198-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacques
Keyword(s):  
Macular Degeneration ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
The United States ◽  
Epidemiologic Studies ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Visual Disability ◽  
Epidemiologic Evidence ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Us ◽  
Nutritional Antioxidants

Age-related cataract and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are important public health problems. Approximately 50% of the 30 to 50 million cases of blindness worldwide result from unoperated cataract. In the US and other developed countries AMD is the leading cause of blindness, but age-related cataract remains the leading cause of visual disability. Age-related cataract and AMD represent an enormous economic burden. In the United States more than 1.3 million cataract extractions are performed annually at a cost of approximately $ 3.5 billion. Much of the experimental research on the etiology of cataract and AMD has focused on the role of nutritional antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, and carotenoids). Evidence from epidemiologic studies support a role for nutritional antioxidants in delaying the onset of these age-related vision disorders. Although it is not yet possible to conclude that antioxidant nutrients have a role in prevention of cataract or AMD, a summary of the epidemiologic evidence suggests that it is prudent to consume diets high in vitamins C and E and carotenoids, particularly the xanthophylls, as insurance against the development of cataract and AMD.

scholarly journals Co-Occurrence of Metal Contaminants in United States Public Water Systems in 2013–2015

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (15) ◽  
pp. 7884
Author(s):  
Alesha K. Thompson ◽  
Michele M. Monti ◽  
Matthew O. Gribble
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water System ◽  
The United States ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
System Level ◽  
Metal Contaminants ◽  
Total Chromium ◽  
Geometric Means ◽  
Public Water Systems

The United States Environmental Protection Agency monitors contaminants in drinking water and consolidates these results in the National Contaminant Occurrence Database. Our objective was to assess the co-occurrence of metal contaminants (total chromium, hexavalent chromium, molybdenum, vanadium, cobalt, and strontium) over the years 2013–2015. We used multilevel Tobit regression models with state and water system-level random intercepts to predict the geometric mean of each contaminant occurring in each public water system, and estimated the pairwise correlations of predicted water system-specific geometric means across contaminants. We found that the geometric means of vanadium and total chromium were positively correlated both in large public water systems (r = 0.45, p < 0.01) and in small public water systems (r = 0.47, p < 0.01). Further research may address the cumulative human health impacts of ingesting more than one contaminant in drinking water.

scholarly journals A review of household drinking water intervention trials and an approach to the estimation of endemic waterborne gastroenteritis in the United States

2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (S2) ◽  
pp. 71-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Colford ◽  
Sharon Roy ◽  
Michael J. Beach ◽  
Allen Hightower ◽  
Susan E. Shaw ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
The United States ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Epidemiologic Studies ◽  
Other Information ◽  
Public Drinking Water ◽  
Public Drinking ◽  
Intervention Trials ◽  
Drinking Water Systems

The incidence of acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) attributable to public drinking water systems in the United States cannot be directly measured but must be estimated based on epidemiologic studies and other information. The randomized trial is one study design used to evaluate risks attributable to drinking water. In this paper, we review all published randomized trials of drinking water interventions in industrialized countries conducted among general immunocompetent populations. We then present an approach to estimating the incidence (number of cases) of AGI attributable annually to drinking water. To develop a national estimate, we integrate trial results with the estimated incidence of AGI using necessary assumptions about the estimated number of residents consuming different sources of drinking water and the relative quality of the water sources under different scenarios. Using this approach we estimate there to be 4.26–11.69 million cases of AGI annually attributable to public drinking water systems in the United States. We believe this preliminary estimate should be updated as new data become available.

scholarly journals Estimates of endemic waterborne risks from community-intervention studies

2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (S2) ◽  
pp. 89-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca L. Calderon ◽  
Gunther F. Craun
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Treatment ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Intervention Studies ◽  
Community Intervention ◽  
Drinking Water Treatment ◽  
The United States ◽  
Epidemiologic Studies ◽  
Natural Experiments

The nature and magnitude of endemic waterborne disease are not well characterized in the United States. Epidemiologic studies of various designs can provide an estimate of the waterborne attributable risk along with other types of information. Community drinking water systems frequently improve their operations and may change drinking water treatment and their major source of water. In the United States, many of these treatment changes are the result of regulations promulgated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. A community-intervention study design takes advantage of these “natural” experiments to assess changes in health risks. In this paper, we review the community-intervention studies that have assessed changes in waterborne gastroenteritis risks among immunocompetent populations in industrialized countries. Published results are available from two studies in Australia, one study in the United Kingdom, and one study in the United States. Preliminary results from two other US studies are also available. Although the current information is limited, the risks reported in these community-intervention studies can help inform the national estimate of endemic waterborne gastroenteritis. Information is provided about endemic waterborne risks for unfiltered surface water sources and a groundwater under the influence of surface water. Community-intervention studies with recommended study modifications should be conducted to better estimate the benefits associated with improved drinking water treatment.

Resorcinarene Cavitand Polymers for the Remediation of Halomethanes and 1,4-Dioxane

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke Skala ◽  
Anna Yang ◽  
Max Justin Klemes ◽  
Leilei Xiao ◽  
William Dichtel
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Activated Carbon ◽  
High Capacity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Water Sources ◽  
Disinfection Byproducts ◽  
Porous Polymer ◽  
Organic Micropollutants ◽  
Executive Summary ◽  
Regulatory Limits

<p>Executive summary: Porous resorcinarene-containing polymers are used to remove halomethane disinfection byproducts and 1,4-dioxane from water.<br></p><p><br></p><p>Disinfection byproducts such as trihalomethanes are some of the most common micropollutants found in drinking water. Trihalomethanes are formed upon chlorination of natural organic matter (NOM) found in many drinking water sources. Municipalities that produce drinking water from surface water sources struggle to remain below regulatory limits for CHCl<sub>3</sub> and other trihalomethanes (80 mg L<sup>–1</sup> in the United States). Inspired by molecular CHCl<sub>3</sub>⊂cavitand host-guest complexes, we designed a porous polymer comprised of resorcinarene receptors. These materials show higher affinity for halomethanes than a specialty activated carbon used for trihalomethane removal. The cavitand polymers show similar removal kinetics as activated carbon and have high capacity (49 mg g<sup>–1</sup> of CHCl<sub>3</sub>). Furthermore, these materials maintain their performance in real drinking water and can be thermally regenerated under mild conditions. Cavitand polymers also outperform activated carbon in their adsorption of 1,4-dioxane, which is difficult to remove and contaminates many public water sources. These materials show promise for removing toxic organic micropollutants and further demonstrate the value of using supramolecular chemistry to design novel absorbents for water purification.<br></p>

The Empire of Disgust

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Change Point ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Political Life ◽  
Swimming Pools ◽  
Economic Class ◽  
Group Resistance

All known societies exclude and stigmatize one or more minority groups. Frequently these exclusions are underwritten with a rhetoric of disgust: people of a certain group, it is alleged, are filthy, hyper-animal, or not fit to share such facilities as drinking water, food, and public swimming pools with the ‘clean’ and ‘fully human’ majority. But exclusions vary in their scope and also in the specific disgust-ideologies underlying them. In this volume, interdisciplinary scholars from the United States and India present a detailed comparative study of the varieties of prejudice and stigma that pervade contemporary social and political life: prejudice along the axes of caste, race, gender, age, sexual orientation, transgender, disability, religion, and economic class. In examining these forms of stigma and their intersections, the authors present theoretically pluralistic and empirically sensitive accounts that both explain group-based stigma and suggest ways forward. These forward-looking remedies, including group resistance to subordination as well as institutional and legal change, point the way towards a public culture that is informed by our diverse histories of discrimination and therefore equipped to eliminate stigma in all of its multifaceted forms.

Lithium in groundwater used for drinking-water supply in the United States

2020 ◽  
pp. 144691
Author(s):  
Bruce D. Lindsey ◽  
Kenneth Belitz ◽  
Charles A. Cravotta ◽  
Patricia L. Toccalino ◽  
Neil M. Dubrovsky
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
The United States ◽  
Drinking Water Supply
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