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Trace Metals in Drinking Water: Sources and Effects

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Security of Public Water Supplies

Part of the book series: NATO Science Series ((ASEN2,volume 66))

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Abstract

Scientific advances have been a key factor in the increased public attention to toxic metals in drinking water. New epidemiological methods have improved our ability to link acute and chronic human health effects to toxic metal exposures via drinking water. Toxicological studies detect carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects at levels that were previously believed to be safe. Improved analytical methods can now detect trace metals at parts per trillion (ng/L) level and water supplies that were once thought to be pure are found to contain a number of toxic metals. Even though the risk to human health may be extremely low at such minute concentrations, the frequent findings create the perception that the consumers are being exposed to a host of toxic metals, and the risks from multiple and multimedia exposures are not well known or quantified.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental & Industrial Health School of Public Health, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

    Jerome O. Nriagu & Myoung-Jin Kim

Authors
  1. Jerome O. Nriagu
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  2. Myoung-Jin Kim
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental and Industrial Health, School of Public Health, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    R. A. Deininger

  2. Institute for Water Pollution Control, Water Resources Research Centre (VITUKI Plc.), Budapest, Hungary

    P. Literathy

  3. European Centre for Environment and Health, WHO, Rome, Italy

    J. Bartram

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Nriagu, J.O., Kim, MJ. (2000). Trace Metals in Drinking Water: Sources and Effects. In: Deininger, R.A., Literathy, P., Bartram, J. (eds) Security of Public Water Supplies. NATO Science Series, vol 66. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4241-0_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4241-0_10

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-7923-6122-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-4241-0

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