Emerging disinfection by-products (DBPs) in drinking water are an important public health concern. Some DBPs, such as nitrosamines, are probable carcinogens, while halogenated DBPs may lead to birth defects. Most research on DBPs has focused on several readily detectable DBPs, including HAAs and THMs. However, the existing epidemiologic studies on these known DBPs have failed to produce a truly plausible toxicological explanation for the relative risks estimated. It is suspected that many other unidentified DBPs may play more important roles in the health effects observed.
Our preliminary studies have revealed the presence of a few new nitrosamines in some Canadian drinking water supplies. Many more nitrosamines and other DBPs may be present but have not been detected or identified by current analytical techniques. The overall objective of this project is to characterize novel DBPs and study the potential human health effects from exposure to them. The specific objectives include: (1) to develop novel analytical techniques for the identification and quantification of unidentified DBPs, (2) to characterize the formation of DBPs resulting from interaction between the chlorine residual and organic matter in gastric fluid, (3) to study human exposure to DBPs of toxicological relevance, and (4) to assess potential health risks from exposure to these toxic DBPs.
This project is a collaborative effort from Drs X.-F. Li and S. Hrudey from the University of Alberta, Dr. J. Pawliszyn from the University of Waterloo, and Dr. R. Andrews from the University of Toronto and their collaborators from research institutions, analytical instrument companies, water utilities, and regulator agencies in Canada and the United States.
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