Analyzing health risks caused by contaminated drinking water (experience gained in Samara region)

Abstract

Environmental contamination is still a pressing issue, in particular, contaminated drinking water sources and contaminated drinking water from centralized communal water supply systems, since it produces negative effects on human health. Our research goal was to estimate probable impacts exerted on overall morbidity in Samara by quality of drinking water taken from centralized communal water supply systems as a most significant environmental factor. Our research tasks included taking and analyzing drinking water samples from centralized communal water supply systems; calculating carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks caused by analyzed chemicals. To fulfill the tasks and achieve the goals, in 2018–2019 we performed sanitary-chemical analysis of drinking water quality as per 20 sanitary-chemical parameters; our research object was drinking water taken from centralized communal water supply systems in 7 districts in Samara. Obtained actual data on contamination of water taken from centralized water supply networks in Samara were used as primary basis for calculating hazard indexes and carcinogenic risk coefficients using conventional exposure scenarios. In our research we revealed that maximum total non-carcinogenic hazard quotient was determined by arsenic and petroleum products introduction. Assessment of carcinogenic risks caused by contaminants in drinking water revealed that total health risk for children younger than 18 was within the second range as per its median; total carcinogenic risks for adults, within the third range. At the same time, arsenic contents did not exceed hygienic standards in all examined samples. So, we assessed carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks, basing on actual data on quality of drinking water taken from centralized communal water supply systems. It seems vital to perform a wider-scale controlled study in several regions in order to assess significance of revealed factors for morbidity among population.