Factors Responsible for Domestic Water Contamination

Introduction. Whey drinks, fruit nectars, and reconstituted juices are usually based on domestic water. This water may contain various contaminants, which can interact with vitamins in fruit drinks. The research objective was to study the impact of trichloromethane, hydroxybenzene, chlorophenol, trichloroethylene, and ethylene chloride on the state of vitamins in juice products. Study objects and methods. The study featured aqueous fruit and berry concentrates, used in fruit nectar production. The control sample contained water without contaminants, while the test samples involved trichloromethane, trichloroethylene, ethylene chloride, hydroxybenzene, and chlorophenol. Capillary zone electrophoresis made it possible to determine bioactive substances (vitamins) in aqueous fruit and berry concentrates. Molecular absorption spectroscopy in visible spectrum was used to check the color intensity. Gas chromatography helped to analyze the content of contaminants. Results and discussion. The experiment tested vitamin preservation in fruit nectars based on water contaminated with trichloromethane, trichloroethylene, ethylene chloride, hydroxybenzene, and chlorophenol. Trichloromethane did not react with bioactive substances. Trichloroethylene, ethylene chloride, hydroxybenzene, and chlorophenol lowered the content of ascorbic acid, carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, choline, and pyridoxine. Depending on the organic matter, water contamination led to a decrease in carotene by 7–35%, vitamin B1 – by 10–100%, B2 – by 11–100%, B4 – by 8–45%, and B6 – by 8–100 in the finished product. The paper introduces a theoretic substantiation of the interaction between the contaminants and the bioactive substances. Conclusion. Water, contaminated with such organic substances as hydroxybenzene, chlorophenol, trichloroethylene, and ethylene chloride, proved to affect the vitamin preservation in juices, which was illustrated by chemical equations. Therefore, juice production requires preliminary water purification because toxic and cancerogenic substances can decrease the quality and food safety of the finished product.

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Reduction in Arsenic Exposure by Domestic Water Purification Devices in Shanghai Area and Related Health Risk Assessment

Water ◽

10.3390/w13202916 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (20) ◽

pp. 2916

Author(s):

Qin Qin ◽

Hongtao Lu ◽

Zhiliang Zhu ◽

Minghao Sui ◽

Yanling Qiu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drinking Water ◽

Water Purification ◽

Water Contamination ◽

Arsenic Removal ◽

Tap Water ◽

Arsenic Exposure ◽

Arsenic Contamination ◽

Domestic Water ◽

Drinking Water Contamination ◽

Household Water

Domestic water purification devices (point-of-use) are important choices for people to deal with sudden drinking water contamination. Especially for sudden heavy metal and arsenic contamination, home water purification units can play a key role as a secondary line of defense. Most of the arsenic removal studies are limited to meeting the requirements of local water quality standards and few studies have been conducted on arsenic removal from household water purifiers. In this paper, the distribution characteristics of arsenic in water at the end of the pipeline network in the Shanghai water supply area have been investigated. Three types of household water purifiers, mainly with membrane separation technology, were selected to treat the simulated arsenic contamination in tap water sources. The effects of pH and inorganic salts on arsenic removal were studied in comparison to the results of coexisting ion concentrations in tap water. The results showed that the total arsenic concentrations in different tap water samples range from 0.479–1.195 µg L−1, which is lower than the limit value for arsenic concentration set by China’s drinking water standard GB 5749–2006 (10 µg L−1) and by the World Health Organization (10 µg L−1). It is found that reverse osmosis and nanofiltration water purifiers were more effective in removing As(V), with removal rate above 97.7%, and less effective in removing As(III), the rate ranging from 40.1 to 56.3%. Preliminary validation was provided for the safety of household water purifiers in securing universal and sudden drinking water contamination. Domestic water purifiers are effective in reducing the risk of arsenic exposure in drinking water.

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Case Analysis and Discussion of Solutions to Possible Water Conflicts

Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation ◽

10.9798/kosham.2021.21.2.183 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 183-194

Author(s):

Tae Jin Kim

Keyword(s):

Local Governments ◽

Water Contamination ◽

Water Rights ◽

Dam Construction ◽

Domestic Water ◽

Water Shortages ◽

Essential Information ◽

The Right ◽

Political Economic ◽

Water Issues

Water issues driven by water shortages have consistently increased over the last few decades, as water is directly related to the right to live. Most domestic water disputes occur between local governments due to dam construction, water contamination, water intake relocation, and other issues. By contrast, foreign water issues typically occur between countries boarded by rivers that are monopolized by one of the concerned countries. Because the concept of water rights has been applied differently to each issue, water stakeholders are typically unable to obtain sufficient supplies of water to satisfy all water consumers. In this study, the causes, issues, and solutions for both domestic and foreign water disputes are investigated and summarized. Riparian and appropriated water rights are the main controversies surrounding domestic water issues and must be fully investigated and understood. By contrast, foreign water disputes are negotiated between countries based on political, economic, and industrial priorities related to shared rivers, and these too must be fully examined and clarified. The study can be used to provide essential information about possible future domestic water issues such as those related to the Imjin River, which is a shared waterway between South and North Korea.

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Investigating Domestic Shower Settings as a Risk Factor for Acanthamoeba Keratitis

Water ◽

10.3390/w12123493 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (12) ◽

pp. 3493

Author(s):

Binod Rayamajhee ◽

Dinesh Subedi ◽

Seoyoung Won ◽

Jamie (Jung Yun) Kim ◽

Ajay Vijay ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Risk Factor ◽

Water Contamination ◽

18S Rrna ◽

Pcr Amplification ◽

Acanthamoeba Keratitis ◽

Domestic Water ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Hygiene Practices ◽

Acanthamoeba Species

Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a sight-threatening infection of the cornea, which is caused by soil and the waterborne protist Acanthamoeba spp. AK most commonly occurs during contact lens (CL) wear. Risk factors for AK have been linked to non-optimal lens hygiene practices and Acanthamoeba contamination of domestic water. This study investigated the prevalence of Acanthamoeba species in domestic showers in the greater Sydney region, as well as the perception of water contamination of CL as being a risk factor for AK among previous AK patients and their family and friends. Samples from four locations of 13 participants’ shower areas were cultured and Acanthamoeba 18S rRNA was amplified by PCR, followed by sequencing. Twenty-six responses were received to the online questionnaire. Fifteen water samples (29%, 15/52) contained amoeba that were morphologically classified as Acanthamoeba spp. PCR amplification confirmed the presence of Acanthamoeba spp. in four samples (8%, 4/52). Three isolates belonged to the T4, and one isolate to the T3 genotype. On the questionnaire survey, 96% (25/26) of respondents believed that water contamination was likely to be a risk factor for Acanthamoeba keratitis and 58% rated showering with CL as ‘extremely likely’ to be a risk factor for AK. Acanthamoeba pathogenic genotypes (T3 and T4) in the domestic bathroom water suggest that clinicians should remain vigilant in educating CL wearers about avoiding domestic water contamination of CL.

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