Drinking water, the most essential and not replaceable foodstuff - legal situation and assessment

The availability of water on the globe shows great regional differences. Due to the vital importance of water, quality criteria have been developed for its human consumption. In Europe the Water Directive gives the frame for national legislation concerning public water supply. Lists with parameters and highest acceptable concentrations are given as well as control and management principles to guarantee the health supporting function of water. The occurrence of different pollutants like pathogenic microorganisms, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals and persistent organic chemicals clearly shows that water has to be treated before usage. Basis for this is a positive list of compounds including impurities and allowed amounts of added substances as well as remaining concentrations after separation. One of the highest objectives is to come to a sustainable water management. Green production, ecological product design, and consumer information are promising aspects to reach that goal

Obituary for Tamara Grummt

Tamara Grummt passed away on January 26, 2020 in Oelsnitz/Vogtland, Germany. Tamara was one of the scientific pioneers in the field of environmental toxicology, namely genotoxicity and hygiene of drinking and bathing waters. Her passing is not only a great loss to environmental research and to the global environmental toxicology community—we have lost an outstanding personality with the heart in the right place, who has become, for many of us, a wonderful friend

Childhood Asthma and Environmental Exposures at Swimming Pools: State of the Science and Research Recommendations

OBJECTIVES: Recent studies have explored the potential for swimming pool disinfection by-products (DBPs), which are respiratory irritants, to cause asthma in young children. Here we describe the state of the science on methods for understanding children's exposure to DBPs and biologics at swimming pools and associations with new-onset childhood asthma and recommend a research agenda to improve our understanding of this issue. DATA SOURCES: A workshop was held in Leuven, Belgium, 21-23 August 2007, to evaluate the literature and to develop a research agenda to better understand children's exposures in the swimming pool environment and their potential associations with new-onset asthma. Participants, including clinicians, epidemiologists, exposure scientists, pool operations experts, and chemists, reviewed the literature, prepared background summaries, and held extensive discussions on the relevant published studies, knowledge of asthma characterization and exposures at swimming pools, and epidemiologic study designs. SYNTHESIS: Childhood swimming and new-onset childhood asthma have clear implications for public health. If attendance at indoor pools increases risk of childhood asthma, then concerns are warranted and action is necessary. If there is no such relationship, these concerns could unnecessarily deter children from indoor swimming and/or compromise water disinfection. CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence of an association between childhood swimming and new-onset asthma is suggestive but not conclusive. Important data gaps need to be filled, particularly in exposure assessment and characterization of asthma in the very young. Participants recommended that additional evaluations using a multidisciplinary approach are needed to determine whether a clear association exists

Öko(tox)ikologische Beurteilung von Gewässerverunreinigungen

Steinberg C, Brüggemann R, Traunspurger W. Öko(tox)ikologische Beurteilung von Gewässerverunreinigungen. In: Frimmel FH, ed. Wasser und Gewässer : ein Handbuch. Spektrum Umwelt. Heidelberg: Spektrum Akademischer Verlag; 1999: 447-505

Rôle de la matière organique dans le transport et la spéciation du mercure

Dans le but de mieux comprendre le rôle de la matière organique (MO) dans le cycle biogéochimique du mercure (Hg), des études de terrain menées dans le bassin de l'Ill (Alsace) ainsi que des expériences de sorption et de transport de Hg(II) en réacteurs fermés et en colonne ont été réalisées. La sorption de Hg(II) sur un sable naturel en présence ou non de MO et le transport de Hg(II) seul, de MO seule et de Hg(II) en présence de MO à travers un sable naturel et un sable de quartz pur ont été étudiés en fonction de différents paramètres (pH, concentration initiale en Hg(II) ou MO, etc.). La MO est représentée par des acides humiques (AH) commerciaux (Aldrich) mais aussi par des composés organiques dissous (COD) issus de la rivière Ill. Dans un écosystème aquatique, les concentrations en Hg, qui se trouve finalement sous forme dissoute ou particulaire, reflètent les interactions de Hg avec les ligands organiques (COD) et les particules ainsi que les processus de sédimentation de ces particules, qui entraînent Hg vers les sédiments. Ces résultats sont en accord avec ceux obtenus au laboratoire. En effet, Hg(II) a une très forte affinité pour les (hydr)oxydes et les argiles présents à l'état de traces dans le sable. Par ailleurs, en présence de AH ou MO naturelle, Hg se trouve complexé et sa sorption diminue. De ce fait, le transport de Hg est fortement facilité. Hg présente un comportement du type anion qui pourrait être dû à la formation de complexes de surface ternaire de type B entre la surface, les ligands et Hg. Les résultats thermodynamiques de sorption de Hg(II) ont été interprétés à l'aide de la relation de type Langmuir. Les constantes de stabilité conditionnelles entre Hg et MO ont été estimées entre 3 et 6 (log K).In order to better understand the role of organic matter (OM) in the biogeochemical cycle of mercury (Hg), field studies in the Ill river basin (Alsace) as well as sorption and transport experiments of Hg(II) in batch and column reactors were performed. The sorption of Hg(II) onto a natural quartz sand with or without OM and the transport of Hg(II) alone, OM alone and Hg(II) in the presence of OM through a natural or a pure quartz sand were studied with respect to pH, initial concentration of Hg(II) or MO, etc. OM is either a commercial humic acid (HA) (Aldrich) or dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from the Ill river. In an aquatic ecosystem, the concentrations of the dissolved or particulate Hg result from interactions of Hg with organic ligands (DOC) and particles but also from settling of these Hg contaminated particles towards sediments. These results are in good agreement with those obtained in the laboratory. Indeed, Hg(II) has a very strong affinity for (hydr)oxides and clays present at low levels in the sand. On the other hand due to the presence of HA or natural OM, which complexes Hg, the sorption of Hg decreases. The transport of Hg in the presence of HA and DOC is thus strongly increased. It would be possible to assume formation of ternary surface complexes of type B between the surface, the ligands and Hg. The sorption thermodynamic results were interpreted from Langmuir type relationship. The stability constants between Hg and OM determined in this study range between 3 and 6 (log K).STRASBOURG-Sc. et Techniques (674822102) / SudocSudocFranceGermanyFRD