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 contaminant mixtures that are not commonly monitored and for which the health risks are unknown.
In our daily routines, we are exposed to numerous hazards including microbial and chemical contaminants in food, air, recreational water, drinking water, and through human contact that may or may not pose substantial health risks. The overall contribution of drinking water to the total risk of disease from all sources is not currently known.
With the declining frequency of high-mortality events in the United States during the last 100 years owing to pathogens in drinking water, public concern has increasingly focused on chemical contaminants in water such as those that enter public water supplies through source waters or are intentionally added to the supply for disinfection.
The current safety and long-term sustainability of U.S. tap waters are rising public health concerns for several reasons, including aging drinking water infrastructure and high-visibility events such as the Flint, Michigan, lead crisis.
Consumers in the United States expect safe drinking water at the point-of-use (tap water). Ensuring safe drinking water through disinfection and monitoring of public water supplies is a priority of drinking water utilities, State and local health agencies, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Regulated chemicals are routinely monitored at drinking water facilities prior to distribution; however, only select chemicals (for example, disinfection byproducts, disinfectant residuals, lead, and copper) are routinely monitored in tap water where there is exposure.
The lack of information on chemicals in tap water is a gap for understanding exposure. Water chemistry can change between the finished water distributed from the drinking water facility and the tap owing to leaks, cross-connections, back-siphonage, and corrosion in the distribution system. Likewise, improved understanding of contaminant exposures in U.S. self-supplied tap water is critical because more than 40 million people in the United States depend on private wells for drinking water that are not regulated as part of the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Therefore, the USGS, in collaboration with National Institutes of Health, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and academia, tested tap water from selected homes and offices across the Nation to help fill these gaps. Tap water samples were collected from 12 workplaces (11 municipal sources and 1 water cooler) and 13 homes (7 municipal sources and 6 private wells). Nineteen inorganic and 482 organic compounds were analyzed. Most of the organic compounds are not regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act.
The team detected 75 organic and 18 inorganic compounds at least once in the study. No water samples drawn from public supplies exceeded any enforceable drinking water standards (one water sample drawn from a privately owned well exceeded the maximum recommended amount of uranium). The organic compounds detected included perfluorinated compounds, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and numerous byproducts of typical water disinfection processes, such as chlorination. Disinfection byproducts were present in all public-supply samples and accounted for almost all the cumulative concentrations of organics detected in public-supply tap water.
The results of this study are consistent with a regulated drinking water supply; however, researchers point out that many chemicals detected in this study are not regulated and are never monitored at the tap. The researchers also note that little is known about the cumulative health effects of exposure to these mixtures of contaminants. This study provides important baseline data for public health experts to better understand exposure to contaminants through drinking water. This information is critical to begin to reduce uncertainties associated with setting priorities for drinking water infrastructure improvements.
This work by the USGS Environmental Health Program's Infrastructure Team builds on decades of USGS expertise and laboratory capabilities in contaminant fate and transport science and fills substantial gaps in existing data, data, given that monitoring of tap water is limited for public supplies and not required for private supplies.
This study was funded by the USGS Environmental Health Program (Toxic Substances Hydrology and Contaminant Biology).
Related research is listed below.
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
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) detected in Source Waters and Treated Public Water Supplies
Novel Approach Improves Understanding of Virus Occurrence in Drinking Water
What is the Chemical and Microbial Content of Our Tap Waters?
Exploring the Suitability of a Modeling Approach to Estimate Contaminant Occurrence in Drinking Water Sources
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Target-Chemical Concentrations, Exposure Activity Ratios, and Bioassay Results for Assessment of Mixed-Organic/Inorganic-Chemical Exposure in USA Tapwater, 2016
Below are publications associated with this research.
Reconnaissance of mixed organic and inorganic chemicals in private and public supply tapwaters at selected residential and workplace sites in the United States
Safe drinking water at the point-of-use (tapwater, TW) is a United States public health priority. Multiple lines of evidence were used to evaluate potential human health concerns of 482 organics and 19 inorganics in TW from 13 (7 public supply, 6 private well self-supply) home and 12 (public supply) workplace locations in 11 states. Only uranium (61.9 μg L–1, private well) exceeded a National Prim
Methods used for the collection and analysis of chemical and biological data for the Tapwater Exposure Study, United States, 2016–17
Concentrations of lead and other inorganic constituents in samples of raw intake and treated drinking water from the municipal water filtration plant and residential tapwater in Chicago, Illinois, and East Chicago, Indiana, July–December 2017
- Overview
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 contaminant mixtures that are not commonly monitored and for which the health risks are unknown.
In our daily routines, we are exposed to numerous hazards including microbial and chemical contaminants in food, air, recreational water, drinking water, and through human contact that may or may not pose substantial health risks. The overall contribution of drinking water to the total risk of disease from all sources is not currently known.
With the declining frequency of high-mortality events in the United States during the last 100 years owing to pathogens in drinking water, public concern has increasingly focused on chemical contaminants in water such as those that enter public water supplies through source waters or are intentionally added to the supply for disinfection.
The current safety and long-term sustainability of U.S. tap waters are rising public health concerns for several reasons, including aging drinking water infrastructure and high-visibility events such as the Flint, Michigan, lead crisis.
Consumers in the United States expect safe drinking water at the point-of-use (tap water). Ensuring safe drinking water through disinfection and monitoring of public water supplies is a priority of drinking water utilities, State and local health agencies, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Regulated chemicals are routinely monitored at drinking water facilities prior to distribution; however, only select chemicals (for example, disinfection byproducts, disinfectant residuals, lead, and copper) are routinely monitored in tap water where there is exposure.
USGS scientist sampling tap water from a public water supply. (Credit: Edward Furlong, U.S. Geological Survey. Public domain.) The lack of information on chemicals in tap water is a gap for understanding exposure. Water chemistry can change between the finished water distributed from the drinking water facility and the tap owing to leaks, cross-connections, back-siphonage, and corrosion in the distribution system. Likewise, improved understanding of contaminant exposures in U.S. self-supplied tap water is critical because more than 40 million people in the United States depend on private wells for drinking water that are not regulated as part of the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Therefore, the USGS, in collaboration with National Institutes of Health, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and academia, tested tap water from selected homes and offices across the Nation to help fill these gaps. Tap water samples were collected from 12 workplaces (11 municipal sources and 1 water cooler) and 13 homes (7 municipal sources and 6 private wells). Nineteen inorganic and 482 organic compounds were analyzed. Most of the organic compounds are not regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act.
The team detected 75 organic and 18 inorganic compounds at least once in the study. No water samples drawn from public supplies exceeded any enforceable drinking water standards (one water sample drawn from a privately owned well exceeded the maximum recommended amount of uranium). The organic compounds detected included perfluorinated compounds, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and numerous byproducts of typical water disinfection processes, such as chlorination. Disinfection byproducts were present in all public-supply samples and accounted for almost all the cumulative concentrations of organics detected in public-supply tap water.The results of this study are consistent with a regulated drinking water supply; however, researchers point out that many chemicals detected in this study are not regulated and are never monitored at the tap. The researchers also note that little is known about the cumulative health effects of exposure to these mixtures of contaminants. This study provides important baseline data for public health experts to better understand exposure to contaminants through drinking water. This information is critical to begin to reduce uncertainties associated with setting priorities for drinking water infrastructure improvements.
This work by the USGS Environmental Health Program's Infrastructure Team builds on decades of USGS expertise and laboratory capabilities in contaminant fate and transport science and fills substantial gaps in existing data, data, given that monitoring of tap water is limited for public supplies and not required for private supplies.
This study was funded by the USGS Environmental Health Program (Toxic Substances Hydrology and Contaminant Biology).
- Science
Related research is listed below.
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...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...Novel Approach Improves Understanding of Virus Occurrence in Drinking Water
Waterborne viruses, one of the leading causes of gastrointestinal illnesses, were measured in United States drinking water sources and finished water. Scientists used a combination of measurement and statistical techniques to overcome limitations to quantifying these viruses, thus offering an enhanced method for virus monitoring.What is the Chemical and Microbial Content of Our Tap Waters?
Safe Drinking Water Act compliance addresses the safety of public-supply water systems. The composition of public-supply drinking water is generally only tested at the treatment facility, and not at the tap in homes and businesses after traveling through the water distribution system. Only lead and copper are tested at a subset of residential and other taps.Testing of water in private wells is...Exploring the Suitability of a Modeling Approach to Estimate Contaminant Occurrence in Drinking Water Sources
Scientists explored the suitability of the DeFacto Reuse in our Nation's Consumable Supply (DRINCS) model to estimate the likelihood of contaminants from upstream wastewater discharges to enter drinking water facility intakes. - Data
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Target-Chemical Concentrations, Exposure Activity Ratios, and Bioassay Results for Assessment of Mixed-Organic/Inorganic-Chemical Exposure in USA Tapwater, 2016
Chemical and biological concentration results, quality assurance and quality control and statistical summaries from 26 tapwater samples, collected from paired residential and work place sites in 11 states in 2016. Samples were analylzed at U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency laboratories. - Publications
Below are publications associated with this research.
Reconnaissance of mixed organic and inorganic chemicals in private and public supply tapwaters at selected residential and workplace sites in the United States
Safe drinking water at the point-of-use (tapwater, TW) is a United States public health priority. Multiple lines of evidence were used to evaluate potential human health concerns of 482 organics and 19 inorganics in TW from 13 (7 public supply, 6 private well self-supply) home and 12 (public supply) workplace locations in 11 states. Only uranium (61.9 μg L–1, private well) exceeded a National Prim
AuthorsPaul M. Bradley, Dana W. Kolpin, Kristin M. Romanok, Kelly L. Smalling, Michael J. Focazio, Juliane B. Brown, Mary C. Cardon, Kurt D. Carpenter, Steven R. Corsi, Laura A. DeCicco, Julie E. Dietze, Nicola Evans, Edward T. Furlong, Carrie E. Givens, James L. Gray, Dale W. Griffin, Christopher P. Higgins, Michelle L. Hladik, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Celeste A. Journey, Kathryn Kuivila, Jason R. Masoner, Carrie A. McDonough, Michael T. Meyer, James L. Orlando, Mark J. Strynar, Christopher P. Weis, Vickie S. WilsonByEcosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, California Water Science Center, Central Midwest Water Science Center, Colorado Water Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Kansas Water Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, National Water Quality LaboratoryMethods used for the collection and analysis of chemical and biological data for the Tapwater Exposure Study, United States, 2016–17
In 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Environmental Health Mission Area, initiated the Tapwater Exposure Study as part of an infrastructure project to assess human exposure to potential threats from complex mixtures of contaminants. In the pilot phase (2016), samples were collected from 11 States throughout the United States, and in the second phase (2017), the study focused on the Greater ChAuthorsKristin M. Romanok, Dana W. Kolpin, Shannon M. Meppelink, Maria Argos, Juliane B. Brown, Michael J. Devito, Julie E. Dietze, Carrie E. Givens, James L. Gray, Christopher P. Higgins, Michelle L. Hladik, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Keith A. Loftin, R. Blaine McCleskey, Carrie A. McDonough, Michael T. Meyer, Mark J. Strynar, Christopher P. Weis, Vickie S. Wilson, Paul M. BradleyConcentrations of lead and other inorganic constituents in samples of raw intake and treated drinking water from the municipal water filtration plant and residential tapwater in Chicago, Illinois, and East Chicago, Indiana, July–December 2017
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Environmental Health Mission Area (EHMA) is providing comprehensive science on sources, movement, and transformation of contaminants and pathogens in watershed and aquifer drinking-water supplies and in built water and wastewater infrastructure (referred to as the USGS Water and Wastewater Infrastructure project) in the Greater Chicago Area and elsewhere in the UnAuthorsKristin M. Romanok, Dana W. Kolpin, Shannon M. Meppelink, Michael J. Focazio, Maria Argos, Mary E. Hollingsworth, R. Blaine McCleskey, Andrea R. Putz, Alan Stark, Christopher P. Weis, Abderrahman Zehraoui, Paul M. Bradley