Multiple detections of regulated and unregulated chemical (inorganic, organic) analytes or elements were detected in both privately and publicly supplied tap water samples from 20 residences in Cape Cod, Massachusetts that share a common source of water.
The role of contaminant exposure through drinking-water in human-health outcomes remains limited, in part, because measurements are not commonly conducted at the point of consumption—at the tap. In the United States, Federal and State agencies regulate and monitor publicly supplied drinking water, whereas Federal agencies are not authorized to regulate or monitor privately supplied drinking water. The result is a lack of directly comparable information between private and public tap water supplies.
To address this lack of information, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists and partners in academia, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and National Institutes of Health compared privately and publicly supplied residential point-of-use tap water at Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where both supplies share the same groundwater source. The Cape Cod aquifer is a single continuous unconfined aquifer that currently serves as the sole source of drinking water for more than 140,000 permanent and 400,000 seasonal residents of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Tap water samples collected from 10 privately supplied and 10 publicly supplied residences were analyzed for 487 organic, 38 inorganic, 8 microbial indicators, and the bioactivities of 3 hormones. Concentrations were put into context with existing Federal, State, and local health benchmark values. Scientists also utilized a and screening-level assessment to estimate biological activity of the regulated and unregulated chemicals or elements in each tap-water sample.
Multiple detections of regulated and unregulated (inorganic, organic) chemicals were detected in both privately and publicly supplied tap water. Seventy organic (for example, disinfection byproducts, pesticides, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pharmaceuticals, and volatile organic compounds) and 28 inorganic (for example, lead, arsenic, manganese, copper, nitrate, and barium) constituents were detected in tap water. The median numbers of detections were comparable, but the median cumulative concentrations were substantially higher in public supply than in the private supply samples mainly owing to the occurrence of disinfection byproducts from chemical disinfection. Conversely, concentrations of inorganic constituents, like nitrate, lead, and copper, were greater in privately supplied residential tap water.
The extensive data generated in this study at Cape Cod along with studies in Chicago and across the United States provide information about contaminants in public and privately supplied drinking water. The results emphasize the importance of sampling at the tap where human exposure occurs and obtaining comparable public and privately supplied drinking water information to understand human exposure.
The Environmental Health Program (Contaminant Biology and Toxic Substances Hydrology) of the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area supported this study.
See below for other science related to this research.
Science to Understand Low-Level Exposures to Neonicotinoid Pesticides, their Metabolites, and Chlorinated Byproducts in Drinking Water
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Residential Tap Water: Source-to-Tap Science for Underserved Communities
Environmental Health Program Drinking Water Science
Mixtures of Organic and Inorganic Chemicals Characterized in Water from the Taps of Residences in the Greater Chicago Area— Science to Understand Contaminant Exposures in Drinking Water
Pilot Study Provides Information on Contaminant Exposure from Tap Water at Residential and Workplace Sites in the United States
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) detected in Source Waters and Treated Public Water Supplies
- Overview
Multiple detections of regulated and unregulated chemical (inorganic, organic) analytes or elements were detected in both privately and publicly supplied tap water samples from 20 residences in Cape Cod, Massachusetts that share a common source of water.
The role of contaminant exposure through drinking-water in human-health outcomes remains limited, in part, because measurements are not commonly conducted at the point of consumption—at the tap. In the United States, Federal and State agencies regulate and monitor publicly supplied drinking water, whereas Federal agencies are not authorized to regulate or monitor privately supplied drinking water. The result is a lack of directly comparable information between private and public tap water supplies.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.USGS scientist sampling water from a residential tap for analyses of a wide variety of chemicals including pesticides, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, pharmaceuticals and inorganic compounds as part of ongoing USGS research on point-of-use drinking water. To address this lack of information, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists and partners in academia, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and National Institutes of Health compared privately and publicly supplied residential point-of-use tap water at Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where both supplies share the same groundwater source. The Cape Cod aquifer is a single continuous unconfined aquifer that currently serves as the sole source of drinking water for more than 140,000 permanent and 400,000 seasonal residents of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Tap water samples collected from 10 privately supplied and 10 publicly supplied residences were analyzed for 487 organic, 38 inorganic, 8 microbial indicators, and the bioactivities of 3 hormones. Concentrations were put into context with existing Federal, State, and local health benchmark values. Scientists also utilized a and screening-level assessment to estimate biological activity of the regulated and unregulated chemicals or elements in each tap-water sample.
Multiple detections of regulated and unregulated (inorganic, organic) chemicals were detected in both privately and publicly supplied tap water. Seventy organic (for example, disinfection byproducts, pesticides, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pharmaceuticals, and volatile organic compounds) and 28 inorganic (for example, lead, arsenic, manganese, copper, nitrate, and barium) constituents were detected in tap water. The median numbers of detections were comparable, but the median cumulative concentrations were substantially higher in public supply than in the private supply samples mainly owing to the occurrence of disinfection byproducts from chemical disinfection. Conversely, concentrations of inorganic constituents, like nitrate, lead, and copper, were greater in privately supplied residential tap water.
The extensive data generated in this study at Cape Cod along with studies in Chicago and across the United States provide information about contaminants in public and privately supplied drinking water. The results emphasize the importance of sampling at the tap where human exposure occurs and obtaining comparable public and privately supplied drinking water information to understand human exposure.
The Environmental Health Program (Contaminant Biology and Toxic Substances Hydrology) of the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area supported this study.
- Science
See below for other science related to this research.
Science to Understand Low-Level Exposures to Neonicotinoid Pesticides, their Metabolites, and Chlorinated Byproducts in Drinking Water
Scientists reported the discovery of three neonicotinoid pesticides in drinking water and their potential for transformation and removal during water treatment. The research provides new insights into the persistence of neonicotinoids and their potential for transformation during water treatment and distribution, while also identifying granulated activated carbon as a potentially effective...Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Residential Tap Water: Source-to-Tap Science for Underserved Communities
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were detected at low levels in treated drinking water samples from residential taps in the Greater Chicago Area. This study is part of a larger approach to provide an understanding of contaminant mixtures in residential tap water across the Nation including underserved communities in rural, urban, and tribal areas.Environmental Health Program Drinking Water Science
Drinking water in the United States rarely is tested for contaminants and pathogens at the tap, where human exposure can occur. In this special issue, we present the science to help understand contaminants and pathogens in drinking water at business and residential taps.Mixtures of Organic and Inorganic Chemicals Characterized in Water from the Taps of Residences in the Greater Chicago Area— Science to Understand Contaminant Exposures in Drinking Water
As a component of ongoing research with a coalition of partners, including the U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Colorado School of Mines, University of Illinois Chicago, and University of South Carolina, water was collected from the taps of 45 Chicago-area residences and analyzed for 540 organic and 35 inorganic...Pilot Study Provides Information on Contaminant Exposure from Tap Water at Residential and Workplace Sites in the United States
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with National Institutes of Health, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and academia, completed a pilot study to provide information on contaminant exposure from tap water at 26 locations including public and private supplies. Public-supply tap water generally met enforceable standards for those compounds with standards. Samples consisted of...Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) detected in Source Waters and Treated Public Water Supplies
This study, which measured 17 per- and polyfuoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in source and treated public water supplies from 25 drinking water facilities as part of a broader study of contaminants in drinking water across the United States, reports that PFASs were detected in all source water and public water supply samples collected. One sample exceeded the current U.S. Environmental Protection... - Publications