Waterborne Contaminants

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Waterborne Contaminants

• Office of Environmental Public Health
• Drinking Water Section
• Deanna Conners, Environmental Toxicologist
• Pete Farrelly, Regional Engineer, EIT
• March 2008

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Waterborne ContaminantsOverview

• Threats to water quality
• Chemical (e.g., metals, pesticides, petroleum)
• Physical (e.g., turbidity)
• Biological (e.g., pathogens, harmful algae)
• Safe Drinking Water Act (1974) ? MCLs
• Priorities?

Threats
MCLs
Violations
Bull Run Watershed, OR
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Waterborne ContaminantsContaminant Priorities
Water quality violations for public water systems
in Oregon during July, August and September 2007.
of Violations
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Waterborne ContaminantsTotal Coliforms

• Definition a group of bacteria that commonly
  reside in the intestinal tracts of warm-blooded
  animals
• Sources
• Natural wildlife feces
• Anthropogenic human sewage, livestock and pet
  waste
• Health Effects not a direct heath threat but
  may indicate the presence of other pathogens
  (e.g., salmonella, Norwalk virus)
• Acute gastrointestinal effects vomiting and
  diarrhea Susceptible sub-populations
  immunocompromised
• MCL no more than 5 positive if ? 40 samples
  per month (if lt 40 samples, no more than one
  positive sample per month)

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Waterborne ContaminantsDisinfection Byproducts
(DBPs)

• Definition a variety of inorganic and organic
  chemicals that form during the reaction between
  drinking water disinfectants and other components
  of water
• Sources
• Health Effects many are carcinogenic, chlorite
  causes neurodevelopmental toxicity
• MCLs
• Haloacetic acids 0.06 mg/L
• Total Trihalomethanes 0.08 mg/L

DBPs Bromate Chlorite Haloacetic
acids Trihalomethanes
Disinfectant and Reactant Ozone
Bromide Chlorine dioxide Water Chlorine
Organic matter Chlorine Organic matter
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Waterborne ContaminantsNitrates (NO3)

• Definition inorganic chemical contaminant
• Sources
• Natural nitrogen fixation
• Anthropogenic sewage, animal waste and
  fertilizers
• Health Effects methemoglobinemia
• Susceptible sub-population - infants
• MCL 10 mg/L

Red blood cells and hemoglobin
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Waterborne ContaminantsArsenic

• Definition inorganic chemical element
  metalloid
• Sources
• Natural erosion of natural deposits can be
  high in groundwater near areas of geothermal
  activity
• Anthropogenic fossil fuels, historically used
  pesticides
• Health Effects
• skin damage
• - carcinogen
• MCL 0.01 mg/L

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Waterborne ContaminantsLead and Copper

• Definition inorganic chemical elements metals
• Sources
• Natural erosion of natural deposits
• Anthropogenic corrosion of plumbing
• Health Effects
• Lead neurodevelopment in children
• Copper liver and kidney damage
• MCLs
• Lead 0.015 mg/L action level
• Copper 1.3 mg/L action level

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Waterborne ContaminantsOrganic Chemicals (OCs)

• Definition a wide variety of carbon containing
  compounds (e.g., petroleum products, pesticides,
  solvents)
• Sources depends on OC
• Health Effects depends on OC
• MCL depends on OC

OEPH Toxicologists Dr. Deanna Conners, 3-0444 Dr.
Michael Holcomb, 3-0494 Dr. David Farrer, 3-0971
If questions ?
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SAMPLING of WATERBORNE CONTAMINANTS

• Drinking Water Section
• Office of Environmental Public Health
• March 2008

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Presentation Issues

• Sample Handling
• Sample Frequency
• Contaminants
• Common Problems

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Waterborne Disease Outbreak Causes
From August 2006 Access AWWA
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Regulatory RequirementPROVIDE SAFE WATER!

• Water System is ultimately responsible
• Must report on-time
• Must report in appropriate format

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Multiple Barrier Approach
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What to Sample Where?

• Raw Source Water
• Well, or
• River

Raw Water Coliforms Raw Turbidity
Filtered Turbidity
Treatment
SOC VOC IOC As NO3 Rads
Chlorine Residual
Entry Point
Distribution
Coliforms DBPs Chlorine Residual
Kitchen Taps
Lead Copper
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Violations Perspective 05-07

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Questions???Start Talking.
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Welcome to the Office of Environmental Public
Health

• Pete Farrelly
• Regional Engineer
• Portland Office
• 971.673.0462
• peter.r.farrelly_at_state.or.us

• Deanna Connors
• Environmental Toxicologist
• Portland Office
• 971.673.0444
• deanna.conners_at_state.or.us