Exposure of children to metals via tap water ingestion at home: Contamination and exposure data from a nationwide survey in France

Abstract

29 inorganic compounds (Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Gd, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nd, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sr, Tl, U, V and Zn) were measured in the tap water of 484 representative homes of children aged 6months to 6years in metropolitan France in 2008-2009. Parents were asked whether their children consumed tap water. Sampling design and sampling weights were taken into account to estimate element concentrations in tap water supplied to the 3,581,991 homes of 4,923,058 children aged 6months to 6years. Median and 95th percentiles of concentrations in tap water were in μg/L: Al: <10, 48.3, As: 0.2, 2.1; B: <100, 100; Ba: 30.7, 149.4; Ca: 85,000, 121,700; Cd: <0.5, <0.5; Ce: <0.5, <0.5; Co: <0.5, 0.8; Cr: <5, <5; Cu: 70, 720; K: 2210, 6740; Fe: <20, 46; Mn: <5, <5; Mo: <0.5, 1.5; Na: 14,500, 66,800; Ni: <2, 10.2; Mg: 6500, 21,200; Pb: <1, 5.4; Sb: <0.5, <0.5; Se: <1, 6.7; Sr: 256.9, 1004; Tl: <0.5, <0.5; U: <0.5, 2.4; V: <1, 1; Zn: 53, 208. Of the 2,977,123 young children drinking tap water in France, some were drinking water having concentrations above the 2011 World Health Organization drinking-water quality guidelines: respectively 498 (CI 95%: 0-1484) over 700μg/L of Ba; 121,581 (CI 95%: 7091-236,070) over 50mg/L of Na; 2044 (CI 95%: 0-6132) over 70μg/L of Ni, and 78,466 (17,171-139,761) over 10μg/L of Pb. Since it is representative, this tap water contamination data can be used for integrated exposure assessment, in conjunction with diet and environmental (dust and soil) exposure data.

Veterinary pharmaceutical residues from natural water to tap water: Sales, occurrence and fate

“…Those concentration levels are unlikely to cause acute toxicity effects on human health [171]. However there is a concern as VPRs are added to the cocktails of micropollutants already present in drinking water, such as human drug residues, pesticides, biocides, flame retardants, metals [172,173]. It is therefore important to understand fate of VPRs in DWTPs.…”

Making Europe go from bottles to the tap: Political and societal attempts to induce behavioral change

“…Although the replacement of old lead water pipes is now enforced by stricter standards, which came into force in all European member states in 2013 at the latest (1998/83/EC), lead released from drinking water pipelines remains a problem in several countries. For example, elevated concentrations of lead in tap water have been reported for regions in Germany (Völker, Schreiber, & Kistemann, ), Italy (Veschetti et al, ), France (Le Bot, Lucas, Lacroix, & Glorennec, ), and Poland (Postawa, ). The plan of reducing the maximum level of lead permissible in drinking water, as detailed in the amendment of the Drinking Water Directive (see Appendix 2), will further enforce the replacement of old water distribution systems.…”

Total water intake and its contributors in infants and young children

“…At the time of the survey, 97.2% of the French population was being supplied with water of good microbiological quality (59) , and respectively 98.6% and 93.1% were provided with water that constantly met the quality limit for nitrates and pesticides, Accepted manuscript according to the European directive 98/83/EC (54,59) . Of concern might be the content of tap water in other potential contaminants (Al, Ba, Cu, Fe, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, or Sb) which have been shown to exceed the maximum levels recommended by authorities (60) . The possible impact on the health of such results has not yet been assessed.…”