Mineral Content of Bottled and Desalinated Household Drinking Water in Kuwait

Three hundred and twenty‐two samples of desalinated household water were collected from 99 sampling locations that covered 95% of Kuwaiti's residential areas. Seventy‐one brands of bottled water were collected from Kuwaiti markets. The water quality parameters that were studied included pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), F^?, Cl^?, Br^?, , , , , , , , and the major macronutrients Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, and Mg²⁺. The analysis yielded a large range of results for most of these parameters, with differences in some cases exceeding 10‐fold. With a few exceptions, the results were found to comply with US‐EPA and WHO standards. Only the water in two brands of bottled water was acidic (pH < 6.5). The TDS was found to be higher than the US‐EPA regulated value in 4 and 3% of the household samples and bottled water brands, respectively. The fluoride levels were generally higher in bottled water than in household water. However, the household water that was produced by the Doha desalination plant and some of the European brands of bottled water were the best samples studied in terms of their quantity of Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Na⁺ compared with the DRI values for those substances. EC and TDS were positively correlated with , , Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, and Mg²⁺ for household water but only with Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ for bottled water.     

Application of the Response Surface Method for Optimization of Headspace Liquid Phase Microextraction of Trihalomethanes in Drinking Water

An optimized analysis method based on headspace liquid phase microextraction (HS‐LPME) and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry was proposed for the determination of trihalomethanes (THMs) in drinking water. The response surface method (RSM) was used to optimize the extraction of THMs for analysis by HS‐LPME. The temperature, extraction time and NaCl concentration were found to be important extraction parameters. The coefficient of determination (R²) for the model was 94.97%. A high probability value (P < 0.0001) for the regression indicated that the model had a high level of significance. The optimum conditions were seen to be: temperature 42.0°C, NaCl concentration 0.30 g/mL, and extraction time 28 min. The response variable was the summation of the THMs chromatography peak areas and the reproducibility of this was investigated in five replicate experiments under the optimized conditions. The relative standard deviations (RSD%) of the THMs ranged from 8.0–11.6%. The limits of detection (LODs), based on a signal‐to‐noise ratio (S/N) of three ranged from 0.42–0.78 μg/L, and were lower than the maximum limits for THMs in drinking water established by the WHO.     

Cryptosporidium Oocysts in Drinking Water Supply of Chennai City,Southern India

Cryptosporidium is an enteric parasitic protozoan capable of causing chronic diarrhea. One of the most common modes of transmission is through faeces‐contaminated water. This study determines the distribution of Cryptosporidium oocysts for the first time in Chennai City's drinking water supply. 199 drinking water samples were collected from ten zones of the city. In the water samples Cryptosporidium, a common pathogenic protozoan of the gastrointestinal tract, has been analyzed physico chemically as well as microbiologically for heterotrophic organisms and total coliforms (TC). The studies revealed that three zones of the city were highly contaminated with coliforms and parasitic protozoa. A statistical analysis was done to find any correlation between heterotrophic organisms, total coliforms, and oocysts. Even though a positive correlation exists between oocysts and bacteriological parameters, a regression equation shows that heterotrophic plate count (HPC) and total coliforms were only 20% responsible for the presence of oocysts. The level of Cryptosporidium oocysts isolated from the water samples may present a public health hazard although no major outbreaks have so far been reported in Chennai City. Routine surveillance of water quality throughout the city is needed to curb the pollutants.     

Spatial Variation of Haloacetic Acids in Indoor and Outdoor Desalinated Household Drinking Water in Kuwait

The present study reveals spatial variability of haloacetic acids and the basic physiochemical properties of drinking water samples through visualization based on the Kriging algorithm and hierarchical cluster analysis. Both projection and statistical method contributed to the logical classification of the indoor and outdoor water samples collected from various governorates covering more than 95% of the residential areas in Kuwait. Clustering of the variables led to the formation of several significant clusters corresponding to the effect of chlorine concentration and its residence time on the formation potential of chlorinated acetic acid derivatives in desalinated drinking water as well as to the total ionic composition of water samples and to the effect of the formation of brominated acetic acid derivatives. Clustering of samples, both indoor and outdoor, indicated that all of governorates located in the northern part of Kuwait are supplied with water containing high concentrations of chlorinated acetic acid derivatives, whereas significantly lower amounts of chlorinated or monobrominated acetic acids were found in water samples in the central and southern parts of the country.     

Performance of A Combination Process of UV/H2O2/Micro‐Aeration for Oxidation of Dichloroacetic Acid in Drinking Water

The decomposition of dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) in water using a UV/H₂O₂/micro‐aeration process was investigated in this paper. DCAA cannot be removed by UV radiation, H₂O₂ oxidation or micro‐aeration alone, while UV/H₂O₂/micro‐aeration combination processes have proved effective and can degrade this compound completely. With initial concentrations of about 110 μg/L, more than 95.1% of DCAA can be removed in 180 min under UV intensity of 1048.7 μW/cm², H₂O₂ dosage of 30 mg/L and micro‐aeration flow rate of 2 L/min. However, more than 30 μg/L of DCAA was left after 180 min by UV/H₂O₂ combination process without micro‐aeration with the same UV intensity and H₂O₂ dosage. The effects of applied UV radiation intensity, H₂O₂ dose, initial DCAA concentration and pH on the degradation of DCAA have been examined in this study. Degradation mechanisms of DCAA with hydroxyl radical oxidation have been discussed. The removal rate of DCAA was sensitive to operational parameters. There was a linear relationship between rate constant k and UV intensity and initial H₂O₂ concentration, which indicated that a higher removal capacity can be achieved by improvement of both factors. A newly found nitrogenous disinfection by‐product (N‐DBP)‐DCAcAm, which has the potential to form DCAA, was easier to remove than DCAA by UV/H₂O₂ and UV/H₂O₂/micro‐aeration processes. Finally, a preliminary cost comparison revealed that the UV/H₂O₂/micro‐aeration process was more cost‐effective than the UV/H₂O₂ process in the removal of DCAA from drinking water.     

Health Risk Assessment for Arsenic in Water Sources of Cankiri Province of Turkey

To investigate the levels of arsenic (As) in the water sources of Cankiri Province, the samples were collected from the stations of central Cankiri (n = 27) and Kursunlu town (n = 12) during 2009 and 2010. The concentrations of As were analyzed with an atomic absorption spectrophotometer, and then compared with permissible limit, 10 µg/L in drinking water, by Turkish legislation and World Health Organization (WHO). The As levels were higher than this limit (mean value 10–30 µg/L in 26 stations), whereas, they were found to be >30 µg/L in 12 sampling points. The water sources were categorized for health risk assessment such as reservoir, tap, well, and spring, and then chronic daily intake for oral and dermal exposure to As via drinking water, hazard quotient (HQ), and hazard index were calculated by using indices. The HQ values were found to be >1 in all samples of Cankiri Province. The effects of As on human health were then evaluated using carcinogenic risk (CR). CR values for As were also estimated to be >10^?5 in drinking water samples of Cankiri Province and might exert potential CR for people. These assessments would point out required drinking water treatment strategy to ensure safety of consumers.     

Removal of Pesticides in Drinking Water Treatment Entfernung von Pestiziden bei der Trinkwasseraufbereitung

The most effective process for the pesticide removal from a raw water is the adsorption on activated carbon except for polar substances. Activated carbon can be used as powdered carbon or granular carbon. However in both processes it has to be taken into account that the efficiency of the activated carbon adsorption is affected by the origin and the concentration of the natural organic background in the raw water and the initial concentration of the pesticide itself.     

Is there a Human Health Hazard from Microcystins in the Drinking Water Supply?

Microcystins are cyclic heptapeptide toxins produced by a range of cyanobacterial genera. These cyanobacteria occur naturally in drinking water reservoirs subject to eutrophication, and in rivers and natural lakes. Because of the diversity of organisms, the toxins occur, from oligo‐mesotrophic lakes in North Temperate latitudes, to hypertrophic tropical ponds. The toxins are responsible for numerous cases of injury and death of domestic animals, and human poisoning from drinking water. The initial poisoning includes hepatic cell death. This leads to secondary effects from liver deficiency, including jaundice and photosensitisation. The toxic effects are largely due to inhibition of phosphatase enzymes, acting to regulate protein phosphorylation. The consequences include structural damage, apoptosis and, at lower concentrations, cell cycle effects and tumour promotion. As there is no clear evidence for direct carcinogenesis by microcystins, they are classed as non‐carcinogenic toxins in drinking water. Guideline Values for safe drinking water are derived from data for subchronic rodent toxicity, using the No Observed Adverse Effect Level (the highest dose giving no toxicity). To this dose are applied uncertainty factors, to calculate a Tolerable Daily Intake. On the basis of a standard bodyweight and water consumption the Guideline Value is determined for drinking water. For microcystin‐LR the WHO have set a provisional Guideline Value of 1 μg/L for drinking water.     

Electrodialytic Defluoridation of Brackish Water: Effect of Process Parameters and Water Characteristics

The aim of this work is to study the removal of fluoride from brackish polluted water using electrodialysis. The influence of several parameters such as flow rate, initial feed concentration, co‐existing ions, and initial pH on process efficiency were studied. This efficiency is evaluated by the removal rate, demineralization rate, and power consumption. The defluoridation process showed to be independent of pH of feed solution. Although the remained studied parameters plays a significant role on the defluoridation efficiency and mainly on the specific power consumption. The defluoridation of a contaminated real water sample was investigated so as to improve the efficiency of the process. The fluoride concentration could be reduced from 2.9 to 0.4 mg L⁻¹ which was lower than World Health Organization (WHO) standard (1.5 mg L⁻¹). Moreover the concentrations of different species in the obtained treated water are below the amounts recommended by WHO for drinking water.     

Factors Affecting UV/H2O2 Oxidation of 17α‐Ethynyestradiol in Water

In this study, bench‐scale experiments were conducted to examine the UV/H₂O₂ oxidation of 17α‐ethynyestradiol (EE2) in water in a batch operation mode. The EE2 degradation exhibited pseudo‐first‐order kinetics, and the removal was ascribed to the production of hydroxyl radicals (^?OH) by the UV/H₂O₂ system. Typically, the EE2 oxidation rate increased with increasing UV intensity and H₂O₂ dose, and with deceasing initial EE2 levels and solution pH. At EE2₀ = 650 µg/L, UV intensity = 154 µW/cm², H₂O₂ = 5 mg/L, and neutral pH, the UV/H₂O₂ treatment was able to remove 90% of the EE2 content within 30 min. Four anions commonly present in water were found to inhibit EE2 degradation to varying degrees: > > Cl^? > . Our results demonstrate that the described UV/H₂O₂ process is an effective method to control EE2 pollution in water.     

Assessment of Trace Metal Contamination of Drinking Water in the Pearl Valley,Azad Jammu and Kashmir

The aim of this study was to assess trace metal contamination of drinking water in the Pearl Valley, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (Pakistan). The objectives were to determine physical properties and the dissolved concentration of five trace metals, i. e., lead, copper, nickel, zinc, and manganese, in drinking water samples collected from various sites of municipal water supply, natural water springs and wells in the valley. Concentrations of the metals in the water samples were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Results showed physical parameters, i. e., appearance, taste and odor within acceptable limits and pH was between 5.5 and 7.0. The observed concentrations of the metals varied between sources of water samples and between sampling sites. Maximum dissolved concentration observed was 4.7 mg/L for Pb and Mn, 4.6 mg/L for Zn, 2.9 mg/L for Ni and 2.8 mg/L for Cu. The observed concentrations of the metals were compared with the World Health Organization's guideline values for drinking water. Overall, the quality of water samples taken from the water springs at Mutyal Mara and Bonjosa was good; however, the water quality was unsuitable for drinking in Kiraki, Kharick, and Pothi Bala localities particularly. Finally, the authors discuss possible causes for increased concentrations of the trace metals in drinking water in the study area.     

于桥水库的水质保护与渔业生产

大水面增养殖将水体中的氮、磷、有机物转化成鱼产品,并以渔获物的形式输出水体,从而加大水体氮、磷、有机物的输出量,有减缓水体富营养化、净化饮水水质的作用;同时鱼类的摄食、消化、排泄等新陈代谢活动可加速水中氮、磷等物质循环,使藻类繁衍,如果大量放养草鱼还会导致水草资源破坏、生态失衡,对饮水卫生、安全不利;网箱养鱼投入饲料,直接增加了水源有机污染。围网养殖对局部水域生态平衡有破坏作用,放养密度过大,投入     

Evaluation of Two Low‐Cost–High‐Performance Adsorbent Materials in the Waste‐to‐Product Approach for the Removal of Pesticides from Drinking Water

This study evaluates the performance of two low cost and high performance adsorption materials, i.e., activated carbon produced from two natural waste products: Bamboo and coconut shell, in the removal of three pesticides from drinking water sources. Due to the fact that bamboo and coconut shell are abundant and inexpensive materials in many parts of the world, they respond to the “low‐cost” aspect. The adsorption capacities of two local adsorbents have been compared with commercial activated carbon to explore their potential to respond to the “high quality” aspect. Two pesticides were selected, namely dieldrin and chlorpyrifos, because they are commonly used in agriculture activities, and may remain in high concentrations in surface water used as drinking water sources. The results indicate that the adsorption of pesticides on activated carbons is influenced by physico‐chemical properties of the activated carbon and the pesticides such as the presence of an aromatic ring, and their molar mass. The activated carbon produced from bamboo can be employed as low‐cost and high performance adsorbent, alternative to commercial activated carbon for the removal of pesticides during drinking water production. The performance of activated carbon from bamboo was better due to its relatively large macroporosity and planar surface. The effect of adsorbent and pesticide characteristics on the performance was derived from batch experiments in which the adsorption behavior was studied on the basis of Freundlich isotherms.     

Application of AMD to the Determination of Crop Protection Agents in Drinking Water. Part IV: Fundamentals of a Confirmatory Test

A method is described for the determination of fifteen active ingredients of plant protecting products in ground-, raw, and drinking water. After extraction and enrichment of the pesticides from the water sample with solid-phase extraction, the extract is fractionated on silica-coated TLC plates, first in a so-called screening gradient by AMD (automated multiple development). The detection of the pesticides is performed by UV multidetection. Positive results from the first separation are confirmed by a second separation on silica in an AMD gradient of distinctly different selectivity, compared to the first separation. Following this strategy, it is possible to distinguish nearly all nonvolatile, from water extractable, active ingredients of plant protecting products in the market. UV spectra are taken for further confirmation of positive results. In most cases, this is possible even at the limit of determination. All chromatograms and spectra shown are raw data, resulting from the confirmatory test DIN 38407 part 11, in the laboratory of one participant*). The method is standardized in the meantime as DIN V 38407-11.     

Adsorption Characteristics of β‐Ionone in Water on Granular Activated Carbon

The adsorption performance of β‐ionone on four types of granular activated carbon (GAC) in water was investigated through batch experiments. The effect of initial β‐ionone concentrations and natural organic matter (NOM) adsorbed on GAC, adsorption kinetic and isothermal models were also studied. The results showed that four types of GAC all had good adsorption performance for β‐ionone, the equilibrium adsorption amount of the GAC employed was in the order of YK > GK > MZ‐A > MZ‐B. The adsorption amount increased with increasing initial concentrations. The presence of NOM could reduce adsorption of β‐ionone to a certain extent, and small molecular weight (MW) fractions (particularly <1000 Da) exhibited a remarkably competitive effect on the adsorption of β‐ionone. The experimental data showed good correlation with pseudo‐first‐order model. Furthermore, adsorption of β‐ionone on GAC fitted Freundlich, Langmuir, and Tempkin isotherms in the range of experimental concentrations, but followed Freundlich isothermal model most appropriate. The thermodynamic parameters were calculated by the results of the experiment, which showed adsorption of β‐ionone on GAC as being endothermic and spontaneous.     

Über das Vorkommen von Pestiziden im Trinkwasser und in der Nahrung Pesticides in Drinking Water and Food

Amounts of pesticide residues determined in drinking water and in food during the last decade are compared. Whereas in drinking water pesticides were determined in concentrations of about 0.1 μg/L, the pesticide contents of fruits and vegetables were higher by a factor of 100 to 10000. Even in the grease fraction of mother's milk pesticides were found in the mg/kg range. These results may help to do the classification of drinking water as a possible health hazard concerning pesticides.     

Removal of Bromate from Water Using De‐Acidite FF‐IP Resin and Determination by Ultra‐Performance Liquid Chromatography‐Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Contamination of water due to bromate is a severe health hazard. The aim of the present study was to remove bromate from water using a crosslinked polystyrene based strongly basic anion exchange resin De‐Acidite FF‐IP. Batch experiments were performed to study the influence of various experimental parameters such as effect of pH, contact time, temperature, and effect of competing anions on bromate removal by De‐Acidite FF‐IP resin. At optimum parameters, the removal rate of bromate was very fast and 90% removal took place in 5 min and equilibrium was established within 10 min. The presence of competitive anions reduced the bromate adsorption in the order of Cl^? > F^? > CO > SO > NO > PO. The practical utility of this resin has been demonstrated by removing bromate in some of the commercial bottled water from Saudi Arabia. The level of bromate was determined using a very sensitive, precise and rapid method based on ultra‐performance liquid chromatography‐tendem mass spectrometry (UPLC‐MS/MS).