In 2001, following a change in disinfection agent in anticipation of the Environment Protection Agency Disinfection Byproduct Rule, lead levels began rising in drinking water in Washington, District of Columbia, and in 2002, the DC Water and Sewer Authority was found to have exceeded the Environment Protection Agency lead action level, requiring compliance with a series of measures under the Lead and Copper Rule. In 2004, the issue became a public concern, drawing considerable media attention. The problem was eventually resolved through the application of orthophosphate but while it played out, the utility was forced to respond to a novel public health issue with few risk management options. This case study examines the lessons learned.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.PHH.0000303411.74108.9f | DOI Listing |
J Hazard Mater
December 2024
ONHEALTH, IDAEA-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, Barcelona 08034, Spain. Electronic address:
Urban stormwater and rainwater in water-stressed cities serve as critical vectors for the transport and dispersion of pollutants, including very mobile compounds These pollutants, which can be influenced by factors such as land use, rainfall intensity, and urban infrastructure, pose significant risks to both human and environmental health. Although several priority pollutants have traditionally been detected in urban stormwater, little is known about the presence of very mobile compounds that may threaten urban drinking water supplies and pose environmental risks to aquatic species. In this study, 131 urban rain and stormwater samples were collected from three districts of Barcelona (Spain) and analysed for 26 very mobile pollutants that are often overlooked in conventional monitoring efforts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWater Res
December 2024
Faculty of Engineering, Institute of Environmental and Process Engineering, RheinMain University of Applied Sciences, Wiesbaden, Germany.
Although the paper industry processes polymeric materials and discharges large amounts of wastewater, no research on microplastics in the wastewater from paper mills has been published to date. This study is the first to investigate this issue. The wastewater treatment plants of twelve representatively selected German paper mills were investigated using an analysis protocol based on µ-Raman spectroscopy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWater Res X
January 2025
Department of Systemic Environmental Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15 04318 Leipzig, Germany.
Due to accelerating climate change and the need for new development to accommodate population growth, adaptation of urban drainage systems has become a pressing issue in cities. Questions arise whether decentralised urban drainage systems are a better alternative to centralised systems, and whether Nature Based Solutions' (NBS) multifunctionality also brings economic benefits. This research aims to develop spatio-economic scenarios to support cities in increasing their resilience to urban flooding with NBS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWater Res
December 2024
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA27AY, UK; SWING - Department of Built Environment, Oslo Metropolitan Uni., St Olavs Plass, Oslo 0130, Norway. Electronic address:
Urban water systems receive and emit antimicrobial chemicals, resistant bacterial strains, and resistance genes (ARGs), thus representing "antimicrobial hotspots". Currently, regional environmental risk assessment (ERA) is carried out using drug consumption data and threshold concentrations derived based on chemical-specific minimum inhibitory concentration values. A legislative proposal by the European Commission released in 2022 addresses the need to include selected ARGs besides the chemical concentration-based ERAs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWater Res
December 2024
Urban Water Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå 971 87, Sweden. Electronic address:
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are extensively used in urban environments and are, thus, found in urban stormwater. However, the relevance of stormwater as a pathway for PFAS to urban streams is largely unknown. This study evaluated the impact of urban stormwater runoff on PFAS concentrations and spatial distribution in three urban streams affected by stormwater discharges from separate sewer systems.
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