Conference proceeding
Microbiological Perspective on Risks from Water Chlorination
Water Chlorination: Chemistry, Environmental Impact and Health Effects. Volume 6. Proceedings of the Sixth Conference on Water Chlorination: Environmental Impact and Health Effects, Vol.6, pp.971-972
01 May 1989
Abstract
It is apparent that some risks, particularly from carcinogenicity of chlorine and/or its by-products, exist. However, it is important that environmental professionals not lose sight of the potential risks for increase in infectious disease if, in the process of ' optimizing ' chlorination practice, the microbial quality of finished potable water supplies is allowed to deteriorate. Waterborne disease outbreaks arise through a variety of causes, including insufficient treatment other than disinfection. For example, inadequate filtration was one cause for a waterborne outbreak of rotavirus in Colorado. Similarly, cross- connections, possibly coupled with inadequate disinfection residuals at the consumer 's tap, may have been responsible for a massive waterborne outbreak of Norwalk Agent in Georgia. Even at present, the risk of cancer from chlorine by-products may balance out the risks from disease associated with waterborne pathogens. For example, assuming that 15% of the bladder cancers in the United States may be attributable to water chlorination, an annual mortality rate of about 0.65/100,000 can be computed. On the other hand, the overall mortality from intestinal infectious diseases, meningitis, and hepatitis A is about 0.5/100,000 per year. There are also a substantial number of illnesses from reportable diseases that might plausibly arise from a variety of exposures, including drinking water. However, the fraction of the deaths and illnesses that may be attributable to drinking water exposure is uncertain at present. (See also W91-00476) (Lantz-PTT)
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Details
- Title
- Microbiological Perspective on Risks from Water Chlorination
- Creators
- C Haas
- Publication Details
- Water Chlorination: Chemistry, Environmental Impact and Health Effects. Volume 6. Proceedings of the Sixth Conference on Water Chlorination: Environmental Impact and Health Effects, Vol.6, pp.971-972
- Conference
- Water Chlorination: Chemistry, Environmental Impact and Health Effects. Sixth Conference on Water Chlorination: Environmental Impact and Health Effects, 6th (Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States, 03 May 1987 - 08 May 1987)
- Number of pages
- 1
- Resource Type
- Conference proceeding
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering
- Identifiers
- 991019189036604721