A state-by-state comparison of policies that protect private well users.

Background: While the Safe Drinking Water Act allows states and localities to adopt stronger protections for drinking water, state and local requirements concerning private drinking water wells vary dramatically and often do not provide necessary protections for residents who rely on well water.

Objective: This paper inventories ten types of policies including laws, regulations, programs, and activities that states have adopted or partaken in to encourage safe drinking water for residential well owners.

Methods: To identify categories of private well protections, we conducted a preliminary internet search with key search terms to create an initial list of 10 categories of laws, regulations, programs, and activities (collectively referred to as "policies") that states have taken to protect residential well water quality.

US drinking water quality: exposure risk profiles for seven legacy and emerging contaminants.

Background: Advances in drinking water infrastructure and treatment throughout the 20 and early 21 century dramatically improved water reliability and quality in the United States (US) and other parts of the world. However, numerous chemical contaminants from a range of anthropogenic and natural sources continue to pose chronic health concerns, even in countries with established drinking water regulations, such as the US.

Objective/methods: In this review, we summarize exposure risk profiles and health effects for seven legacy and emerging drinking water contaminants or contaminant groups: arsenic, disinfection by-products, fracking-related substances, lead, nitrate, per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) and uranium.

Local Measures to Curb Dollar Store Growth: A Policy Scan.

In recent years, advocates have expressed concern about the exponential growth of dollar stores in low-income communities, given their limited stock of healthy foods, and several municipalities in the U.S. have passed novel policies to curb the proliferation of these stores.