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Trihalomethanes in urban drinking water: measuring exposures and assessing carcinogenic risk

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Abstract

Trihalomethanes (THMs) have been proven to be potentially genotoxic and mutagenic for human. The aim of this study was to characterize the THMs spatiotemporal distribution and its carcinogenic risk potential in Ardabil water distribution system. Water samples were collected over consecutive months from twenty-six points in the city of Ardabil from April 2016 to March 2017. The potential carcinogenic risk assessment of THMs was evaluated quantitatively with uncertainty assessment based on Monte-Carlo simulation technique. The results showed that the mean concentrations of bromodichloromethane, Chloroform, dibromochloromethane and Bromoform in water consumed by residents were 101.97 ± 58.51, 85.18 ± 47.79, 51.67 ± 29.57 and 11.89 ± 6.64 μg/L, respectively, during the sampling period. According to the result of this study, the concentrations of THMs were higher in summer in comparison with other seasons. The mean values of lifetime cancer risks for residents through ingestion, inhalation and dermal contact are 2.85×10-4, 6.46×10-7, and 1.26×10-7, respectively. The lifetime cancer risks for residents through ingestion was found to be 285 times more than the minimum or negligible level set by US.EPA (1.0×10-6) and for dermal contact and inhalation lower than the minimum or negligible level set by US.EPA. The results of the present research may contribute to inform the decision makers of drinking water supply system about the role of water quality in the health of consumers.

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Acknowledgements

This paper is important part of Ph.D thesis. The authors are grateful for the support from Reference laboratory of East Azarbaijan Province water and wastewater Company, Laboratory of Pharmacy Faculty, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences and Laboratory of School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Hadi Sadeghi, Simin Nasseri, Masud Yunesian, Amir Hossein Mahvi, Ramin Nabizadeh & Mahmoud Alimohammadi

  2. Center for Water Quality Research, Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Simin Nasseri

  3. Center for Solid Waste Research, Institute for Environmental Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Amir Hossein Mahvi

  4. Center for Air Quality Research, Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Ramin Nabizadeh

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  1. Hadi Sadeghi
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  2. Simin Nasseri
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  4. Amir Hossein Mahvi
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  6. Mahmoud Alimohammadi
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Correspondence to Simin Nasseri.

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Sadeghi, H., Nasseri, S., Yunesian, M. et al. Trihalomethanes in urban drinking water: measuring exposures and assessing carcinogenic risk. J Environ Health Sci Engineer 17, 619–632 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40201-019-00374-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40201-019-00374-x

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