1 research outputs found
Occurrence and Toxicity of Disinfection Byproducts in European Drinking Waters in Relation with the HIWATE Epidemiology Study
The HIWATE (<b>H</b>ealth <b>I</b>mpacts
of long-term
exposure to disinfection byproducts in drinking <b>WATE</b>r)
project was a systematic analysis that combined the epidemiology on
adverse pregnancy outcomes and other health effects with long-term
exposure to low levels of drinking water disinfection byproducts (DBPs)
in the European Union. The present study focused on the relationship
of the occurrence and concentration of DBPs with in vitro mammalian
cell toxicity. Eleven drinking water samples were collected from five
European countries. Each sampling location corresponded with an epidemiological
study for the HIWATE program. Over 90 DBPs were identified; the range
in the number of DBPs and their levels reflected the diverse collection
sites, different disinfection processes, and the different characteristics
of the source waters. For each sampling site, chronic mammalian cell
cytotoxicity correlated highly with the numbers of DBPs identified
and the levels of DBP chemical classes. Although there was a clear
difference in the genotoxic responses among the drinking waters, these
data did not correlate as well with the chemical analyses. Thus, the
agents responsible for the genomic DNA damage observed in the HIWATE
samples may be due to unresolved associations of combinations of identified
DBPs, unknown emerging DBPs that were not identified, or other toxic
water contaminants. This study represents the first to integrate quantitative
in vitro toxicological data with analytical chemistry and human epidemiologic
outcomes for drinking water DBPs