Health risk assessment of heavy metals and disinfection by-products in drinking water in megacities in China: A study based on age groups and Monte Carlo simulations
Heavy metal(loid)s (HMs) and disinfection by-products (DBPs) in drinking water pose risks to human health and jeopardize drinking water. Water-related behaviors vary significantly among different age groups and regions. In this study, the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of HMs (As, Cd, Cr6+,...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651323008345 |
| _version_ | 1797744130917400576 |
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| author | Shoudao Zhao Yiwei Gong Shuwen Yang Shaoyang Chen Di Huang Kai Yang Hongguang Cheng |
| author_facet | Shoudao Zhao Yiwei Gong Shuwen Yang Shaoyang Chen Di Huang Kai Yang Hongguang Cheng |
| author_sort | Shoudao Zhao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Heavy metal(loid)s (HMs) and disinfection by-products (DBPs) in drinking water pose risks to human health and jeopardize drinking water. Water-related behaviors vary significantly among different age groups and regions. In this study, the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of HMs (As, Cd, Cr6+, Cu, Pb, and Zn) and DBPs (bromodichloromethane (BDCM), bromoform, chloroform, dibromochloromethane (DBCM), dichloroacetic acid (DCAA), and trichloroacetic acid (TCAA)) in drinking water in two Chinese megacities (Beijing in North China and Guangzhou in South China) via multiple exposure pathways were assessed. The results showed that children aged 9 months to 2 years had a total carcinogenic risk (TCR) and hazard index (HI) above acceptable levels, indicating that despite the drinking water quality in the selected megacities meeting the current Chinese national standards (GB 5749–2022), the health risks of exposure to HMs and DBPs in drinking water for local young children should not be neglected. Specifically, the carcinogenic risk (CR) of exposure to As in drinking water for children < 18-years-old, who were divided into different age groups, was 1.5–2.0- and 4.5–5.9-times higher than the TCR of exposure to DBPs in Beijing and Guangzhou, respectively. Regarding children aged 9 months to 2 years, the exposure to TCAA accounted for the largest proportion (35.6 %) of the TCR of exposure to DBPs in Beijing drinking water, 5.4-times higher than that in Guangzhou; whereas, the TCR of exposure to DBPs in Guangzhou drinking water was predominantly caused by exposure to chloroform, accounting for 40.6 % of the TCR and 1.5-times higher than that in Beijing. In addition, the CR of exposure to DCAA in drinking water in both megacities accounted for a large proportion of the TCR for children aged 9 months to 2 years. Monte Carlo simulations showed that 62.2 % and 42.6 % of the TCR of simultaneous exposure to As and DBPs in drinking water exceeded the acceptable level for sensitive populations, that is, children aged 1–2 years in Beijing (95th percentile = 4.2 × 10−4) and children aged 9–12 months in Guangzhou (95th percentile = 5.2 × 10−4), respectively. This elaborate health risk assessment sheds light on improving the water quality indices to guarantee drinking water safety in China. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:05:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-68366e0e4b86492b9909c0792141b0f0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0147-6513 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:05:20Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
| spelling | doaj.art-68366e0e4b86492b9909c0792141b0f02023-08-13T04:52:06ZengElsevierEcotoxicology and Environmental Safety0147-65132023-09-01262115330Health risk assessment of heavy metals and disinfection by-products in drinking water in megacities in China: A study based on age groups and Monte Carlo simulationsShoudao Zhao0Yiwei Gong1Shuwen Yang2Shaoyang Chen3Di Huang4Kai Yang5Hongguang Cheng6College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 5C8College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, ChinaCollege of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, ChinaCollege of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 5C8School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, ChinaCollege of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Corresponding authors.College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Corresponding authors.Heavy metal(loid)s (HMs) and disinfection by-products (DBPs) in drinking water pose risks to human health and jeopardize drinking water. Water-related behaviors vary significantly among different age groups and regions. In this study, the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of HMs (As, Cd, Cr6+, Cu, Pb, and Zn) and DBPs (bromodichloromethane (BDCM), bromoform, chloroform, dibromochloromethane (DBCM), dichloroacetic acid (DCAA), and trichloroacetic acid (TCAA)) in drinking water in two Chinese megacities (Beijing in North China and Guangzhou in South China) via multiple exposure pathways were assessed. The results showed that children aged 9 months to 2 years had a total carcinogenic risk (TCR) and hazard index (HI) above acceptable levels, indicating that despite the drinking water quality in the selected megacities meeting the current Chinese national standards (GB 5749–2022), the health risks of exposure to HMs and DBPs in drinking water for local young children should not be neglected. Specifically, the carcinogenic risk (CR) of exposure to As in drinking water for children < 18-years-old, who were divided into different age groups, was 1.5–2.0- and 4.5–5.9-times higher than the TCR of exposure to DBPs in Beijing and Guangzhou, respectively. Regarding children aged 9 months to 2 years, the exposure to TCAA accounted for the largest proportion (35.6 %) of the TCR of exposure to DBPs in Beijing drinking water, 5.4-times higher than that in Guangzhou; whereas, the TCR of exposure to DBPs in Guangzhou drinking water was predominantly caused by exposure to chloroform, accounting for 40.6 % of the TCR and 1.5-times higher than that in Beijing. In addition, the CR of exposure to DCAA in drinking water in both megacities accounted for a large proportion of the TCR for children aged 9 months to 2 years. Monte Carlo simulations showed that 62.2 % and 42.6 % of the TCR of simultaneous exposure to As and DBPs in drinking water exceeded the acceptable level for sensitive populations, that is, children aged 1–2 years in Beijing (95th percentile = 4.2 × 10−4) and children aged 9–12 months in Guangzhou (95th percentile = 5.2 × 10−4), respectively. This elaborate health risk assessment sheds light on improving the water quality indices to guarantee drinking water safety in China.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651323008345Water securityPollutantsExposure parametersCarcinogenic riskHazard index |
| spellingShingle | Shoudao Zhao Yiwei Gong Shuwen Yang Shaoyang Chen Di Huang Kai Yang Hongguang Cheng Health risk assessment of heavy metals and disinfection by-products in drinking water in megacities in China: A study based on age groups and Monte Carlo simulations Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Water security Pollutants Exposure parameters Carcinogenic risk Hazard index |
| title | Health risk assessment of heavy metals and disinfection by-products in drinking water in megacities in China: A study based on age groups and Monte Carlo simulations |
| title_full | Health risk assessment of heavy metals and disinfection by-products in drinking water in megacities in China: A study based on age groups and Monte Carlo simulations |
| title_fullStr | Health risk assessment of heavy metals and disinfection by-products in drinking water in megacities in China: A study based on age groups and Monte Carlo simulations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Health risk assessment of heavy metals and disinfection by-products in drinking water in megacities in China: A study based on age groups and Monte Carlo simulations |
| title_short | Health risk assessment of heavy metals and disinfection by-products in drinking water in megacities in China: A study based on age groups and Monte Carlo simulations |
| title_sort | health risk assessment of heavy metals and disinfection by products in drinking water in megacities in china a study based on age groups and monte carlo simulations |
| topic | Water security Pollutants Exposure parameters Carcinogenic risk Hazard index |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651323008345 |
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