There has been some evidence concerning the fact that trihalomethanes(THMs), toxic chlorinated compounds, may be present in drinking water. One of the important methodologies to evaluate the toxicity of THMs is to determine enzyme alteration in experimental animal tissues after treatment. This study was intended to investigate how lactic dehydrogenase(LDH) of rat tissues is affected by administration of chloroform(CHCl3) and dichloromonobromomethane (CHCl2Br). THMs, high dose(1/10 LD50) or low dose(1/50 LD50) of CHCl3 or CHCl2Br were administered orally to experimental rates for 4 or 8 weeks. The treated groups of rats were sacrificed to determine LDH specific activity and isozyme pattern in various organs which were liver, thigh muscle, kidney and brain. The conclusions were obtained as follow: 1. Alteration of LDH activities and isozyme patterns were revealed before morphologic changes in tissues. 2. The LDH specific activities were increased significantly in liver and brain after administration of high concentrations of CHCl3 and CHCls2Br for 4 weeks respectively. Otherwise, they were decreased significantly in liver, muscle and kidney after administration for 8 weeks. 3. The isozyme activities of LDH-4 and LDH-5 were increased in muscle, brain, and especially the liver. 4. It was more distinct for the decrement of LDH H-type isozyme than the increment of M-type isozyme in muscle.
Animals ; Brain ; Drinking Water ; Kidney ; Liver ; Oxidoreductases* ; Rats* ; Thigh ; Trihalomethanes*

OBJECTIVESTo investigate the pollutant levels of regulated disinfection by-products trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) in raw water from the Huangpu River, the Yangtze River and different treatment processes and finished water, and to explore the changes tendency in transmission and distribution pipeline network.

METHODSA total of 65 ml water samples with two replicates were collected from different raw water, corresponding treatment processes, finished water and six national surveillance points in main network of transmission and distribution, water source for A water plant and B, C water plant was the Huangpu River and the Yangtze River, respectively. Regulated THMs and HAAs above water samples were detected by gas chromatography.

RESULTSThe total trihalomethanes (THM(4)) concentration in different treatment processes of A water plant was ND-9.64 µg/L, dichlorobromomethane was the highest (6.43 µg/L). The THM(4) concentration in B and C water plant was ND to 38.06 µg/L, dibromochloromethane (12.24 µg/L) and bromoform (14.07 µg/L) were the highest in the B and the C water plant respectively. In addition to trichloroacetic acid in A water plant from the raw water, the other HAAs came from different treatment processes. The total haloacetic acids (HAA(6)) concentration of different treated processes in A water plant was 3.21 - 22.97 µg/L, mobromoacetic acid (10.40 µg/L) was the highest. Dibromoacetic acid was the highest both in B (8.25 µg/L) and C (8.84 µg/L) water plant, HAA(6) concentration was ND to 27.18 µg/L. The highest and the lowest concentration of THM(4) were found from the main distribution network of C and A water plant respectively, but the concentration of HAA(6) in the main water pipes network of A water plant was the highest, and the lowest in C water plant. The THMs concentration was 21.11 - 31.18 µg/L in C water plant and 6.72 - 8.51 µg/L in A water plant. The concentration of HAA(6) was 25.02 - 37.31 µg/L in A water plant and 18.69 - 23.32 µg/L in C water plant. The highest concentrations of brominated disinfection by-products in B and C water plant were 54.57 µg/L and 45.38 µg/L respectively, those were higher than A water plant (18.98 µg/L), and higher than the chlorinated disinfection by-products in B and C water plants (30.23 µg/L and 30.60 µg/L).

CONCLUSIONSThe THM(4) concentrations of finished water treated from Huangpu River was lower than finished water from the Yangtze River, while the HAAs concentrations in finish water from Huangpu River was higher than the two water plants of Yangtze River. The fluctuations of THMs and HAAs concentration in distribution network were low during transmission and distribution process.

Chromatography, Gas ; Environmental Monitoring ; methods ; Rivers ; chemistry ; Trihalomethanes ; analysis ; chemistry ; Water Pollutants, Chemical ; analysis ; Water Purification ; methods

This study was conducted as a nationwide survey in Korea to determine the THM (trihalomethane) concentration levels in the drinking water of 14 selected cities. The survey was undertaken in one city (Kwangju) during September and October of 1988 and 14 cities in January through February of 1988. The results were as follows: 1. The KMnO4 consumption was 10.6 mg/l - 11.6 mg/l in Pusan and Ulsan, exceeding the drinking water standard of 10 mg/l. Pusan, Inchon, Kwangju, Ulsan, Mokpo and Junju areas also exceeded the ammonia nitrate standard of 0.5 mg/l, Other tap waters surveyed were detected below the drinking water standards. 2. The THM concentrations of tap water measured in January and February of 1989 were detected in the range 1.20 microgram/l - 150.8 microgram/l. 3. In the comparative study of the THM concentration of tap water measured in the Kwangju area during September and October of 1988, the average THM concentration of 145.63 +/- 70.72 microgram/l showed a sifford increase compared to that of 23.8 +/- 8.31 microgram/l surveyed in January and February 1989. 4. The proportion of the four THM compounds found in tap water was bromoform, 47%; chloroform, 30%; chlordibromomethane, 13%; and dichlorobromomethane, 10%. 5. Since the results indicate that the concentration of bromoform was 2 - 10 times higher than that of chloroform measured in the seaside district of Pusan, Ulsan and Cheju Island, it is reasonable to assume that the raw water was somehow influenced by seawater. 6. The average lifetime cancer rate of the population exposed to chloroform measured in the surveyed areas was 17 cancer incidences per 1 million population. From the above results, the existence of THM in the distribution systems seems to be inevitable, since chlorine disinfection is performed in water treatment plants in our country. There seems to be a trend of increasing. THM concentrations due to the contamination of raw water. In order to establish any form of regulations, health risk assessment is an imminent subject.
Ammonia ; Busan ; Chlorine ; Chloroform ; Disinfection ; Drinking Water* ; Drinking* ; Gwangju ; Incheon ; Incidence ; Jeju-do ; Jeollanam-do ; Korea ; Risk Assessment ; Seawater ; Social Control, Formal ; Trihalomethanes* ; Ulsan ; Water ; Water Purification

OBJECTIVETo investigate the feasibility of reducing THM precursors and controlling bromate taste and odor in drinking water taken from the Yellow River by an ozonation combined system.

METHODSThe appropriate ozone dosage was determined, and then the changes of TOC, UV254 and THM formation potential (THMFP) in the combined system were evaluated.

RESULTSOne mg/L ozone could effectively remove taste and odor and meet the maximum allowable bromate level in drinking water. The pre-ozonation increased THMFP, but the conventional treatment system could effectively reduce the odor. The bio-ceramic filter could partly reduce CHCl3FP, but sometimes might increase CHCl2BrFP and CHClBr2FP. The biological activated carbon (BAC) filter could effectively reduce CHCl3FP and CHCl2BrFP, but increase CHClBr2FP. Compared with other filters, the fresh activated carbon (FAC) filter performed better in reducing THMFP and even reduced CHClBr2FP.

CONCLUSIONThe combined system can effectively reduce taste, odor, CHCl3FP, and CHCl2BrFP and also bring bromate under control.

Bromates ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; China ; Chlorine ; Humans ; Odorants ; analysis ; prevention & control ; Ozone ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Rivers ; chemistry ; Taste ; Trihalomethanes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Water Supply ; analysis ; standards

BACKGROUND: Water – related diseases are worldwide health concern. Microbial contamination and contaminant products in water are a source of disease outbreaks and development of cumulative toxic effects. Ensuring safe water is one of the goals to be achieved at the global level. The aim of this study was to assess publications on drinking and recreational water from a health point of view to understand current problems and future research trends in this field. METHODS: Scopus, the largest scientific electronic database, was used to retrieve related articles and present the results as bibliometric tables and maps. Search query was modified manually using related terms to maximize accuracy. RESULTS: A total of 2267 publications were retrieved with an average of 16.82 citations per article. The h-index of retrieved articles was 88. Visual mapping showed that E. coli, diarrhea, cryptosporidiosis, fluoride, arsenic, cancer, chlorine, trihalomethane, and H. pylori were most frequently encountered terms in title and abstract of retrieved articles. The number of articles on water microbiology was a significant (P < 0.01) predictor of worldwide productivity of water – related disease publications. Journal of Water and Health ranked first in number of publications with 136 (6.00 %) articles. The United States of America ranked first in productivity with a total of 623 (27.48 %) articles. Germany (15.44 %), India (16.00 %) and China (20.66 %) had the least international collaboration in water-related disease research. Environmental Protection Agency and Centers for Disease Prevention and Control were among top ten productive institutions. In the top ten cited articles, there were three articles about arsenic, one about aluminum, one about trihalomethane, one about nitrate, one about toxoplasmosis, one about gastroenteritis, and the remaining two articles were general ones. CONCLUSIONS: There was a linear increase in the number of publications on water – related diseases in the last decade. Arsenic, in drinking water is a serious concern. Cryptosporidiosis and other infectious gastroenteritis remain a major health risk of exposure to contaminated water. Increased number of publications from Asian countries was not associated with a high percentage of international collaboration.
Aluminum ; Americas ; Animals ; Arsenic ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Bibliometrics* ; China ; Chlorine ; Cooperative Behavior ; Cryptosporidiosis ; Diarrhea ; Disease Outbreaks ; Drinking Water ; Drinking* ; Efficiency ; Fluorides ; Gastroenteritis ; Germany ; Humans ; India ; Toxoplasmosis ; Trihalomethanes ; United States ; United States Environmental Protection Agency ; Water ; Water Microbiology ; Waterborne Diseases*

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the disinfection of wastewater in China.

METHODSDuring the SARS epidemic occurred in Beijing, a study of different disinfection methods used in the main local wastewater plants including means of chlorine, chlorine dioxide, ozone, and ultraviolet was carried out in our laboratory. The residual coliform, bacteria and trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids were determined after disinfection.

RESULTSChlorine had fairly better efficiency on microorganism inactivation than chlorine dioxide with the same dosage. Formation of THMs and HAAs does not exceed the drinking water standard. UV irradiation had good efficiency on microorganism inactivation and good future of application in China. Organic material and ammonia nitrogen was found to be significant on inactivation and DBPs formation.

CONCLUSIONChlorine disinfection seems to be the best available technology for coliform and bacteria inactivation. And it is of fairly low toxicological hazard due to the transformation of monochloramine.

Acetates ; analysis ; metabolism ; Ammonia ; analysis ; metabolism ; Animals ; Bacteria ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; China ; Chlorine ; pharmacology ; Chlorine Compounds ; pharmacology ; Disinfectants ; pharmacology ; Disinfection ; methods ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Enterobacteriaceae ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Environmental Exposure ; Humans ; Nitrogen ; analysis ; metabolism ; Organic Chemicals ; analysis ; metabolism ; Oxides ; pharmacology ; Ozone ; pharmacology ; SARS Virus ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Trihalomethanes ; analysis ; metabolism ; Ultraviolet Rays ; Waste Disposal, Fluid ; methods ; Water Microbiology