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The current regulatory framework often relies on the results of the health effect studiesconducted on individual compounds, which is responsible, in part, for the bias towardsa contaminant-by-contaminant approach (i.e., individual regulatory levels of whatconstitutes "safe"). One limitation of the individual constituent approach is that it doesnot view drinking water as the complex "soup" of constituents (e.g., minerals, microbes,byproducts, etc.) that it actually is.While many constituents (regulated and unregulated) are monitored by water utilities,currently health effects information are available for a limited number of these. Onealternative approach for gaining insight as to improving the healthfulness of water thatalready meets regulatory standards is to assess the risk of the entire mixture. This moreholistic approach would guide efforts focused on the reduction of total risks rather thanthe reduction of any particular risk.A risk index method that calculates the values for cancer, non-cancer andmicrobiological endpoints has been developed (though subject to many limitations).Emerging contaminants (e.g., NDMA, perchlorate, endocrine disruptors) need to beconsidered as well. This paper focuses on the analysis method for the cancer endpoint. Includes 4 references, table.

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Edition: Vol. - No. Published: 11/15/2004 Number of Pages: 7File Size: 1 file , 550 KB