Drinking water quality indices: a systematic review

Abstract

This analysis applied systematic review as a methodology for identifying, analyzing and interpreting data on the use of water quality indices for human consumption. Scientific articles were searched in the “PubMed”, “Scielo”, “ScienceDirect” and “Web of Science" databases, using the keywords “drinking water” and “water quality index”, with a custom interval between 2000 and 2020. The results indicated 82,573 published articles, with 16 of them being selected after a filtering process. The occurrence of 11 water quality indices was verified, including 47 water quality parameters used to assess the quality of drinking water, highlighting that the parameters pH, Nitrate, Turbidity, Chloride and Sulfate were the most used, cited in 10 of the 16 articles selected (62,5%). We suggest that future studies seek to propose regionalized water quality indicators for consumption, in order to consider local aspects in the evaluation process and to determine intervention priorities by health surveillance agencies.

Assessing the potential of a surface water body for multiple uses. Case study: the Anambra River Basin, south-eastern Nigeria

“…The pH values were within the acidic range with mean values below permissible pH limits (6.5 to 9) for aquaculture (Ekubo and Abowei2011;Bhatnagar and Devi, 2019). The mean values exceeded also the range for water drinking, swimming/bathing and agriculture purpose (Klamt et al, 2021).…”

Evaluation of karst spring water quality in northeast Tennessee using water quality indices

“…The National Sanitation Foundation Water Quality Index (NSFWQI) is one of the most widely used methods (Abbasi & Abbasi, 2012;Klamt et al, 2021;Ott, 1978;Uddin et al, 2021), although the choice of WQI model is often determined by the intended use of the water source to be assessed, the availability of suitable water quality data, and site or region of use (Akhtar et al, 2021;Kachroud et al, 2019;Lumb et al, 2011). Other commonly used models in North America which have also been modified for application in other parts of the world include Brown et al 1972 Water Quality Index (BWQI) (Brown et al, 1973), Oregon Water Quality Index (Brown, 2016), and the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index.…”

“…Despite WQI's status as a nonregulatory measurement (Akkoyunlu & Akiner, 2012; USF Water Institute, 2022), it is widely used because it helps the public and policymakers better understand critical water quality information. Further, it aids regulatory authorities in water quality valuation such as quantification and monetization, useful for watershed management (Akkoyunlu & Akiner, 2012; Davies, 2006; Debels et al., 2005; Klamt et al., 2021; Walsh & Wheeler, 2012).…”

Surveillance of Drinking Water Quality Worldwide: Scoping Review Protocol

“…Access to water services and water quality are different among countries, being less improved in low- or middle-income countries with large rural areas due to the low monitoring capacity [ 7 , 8 ]. Thus, data regarding water quality are scarce or absent in those contexts, increasing the health risks due to unknown water conditions [ 9 ].…”

“…A recent systematic review identified, analyzed, and interpreted more than 11 water quality indexes for human consumption, including pH, nitrate, turbidity, chloride, and sulfate [ 7 ]. Microbiological contamination, chemical contaminants, health aspects, and the acceptability of consumers are concerns related to water quality in developing countries [ 2 ].…”