Full Description

The primary objective of this study was to examine the extent to which common,everyday water use activities in a household environment result in significant increases inthe levels of trihalomethanes (THMs) in the blood. The study was conducted in a North Carolinacommunity and a community in Texas. The study recruited several male and female volunteersfrom each community to participate in a number of different activities involving the useof tap water. Using a residential setting as a controlled environment, blood, air, andwater samples were collected while subjects performed well-defined and well-characterizedhousehold activities, including showering, bathing, residing in an adjoiningroom during a shower, eating prepared meals, drinking cool tap water, preparing anddrinking a hot water-based beverage made from tap water, washing dishes by hand,washing dishes in an automatic dishwasher, washing and drying clothes, washing clothesusing a chlorine-based bleach, and washing hands with warm water. All activities werestandardized, e.g., duration of activity, water temperature, amount of water consumption,etc. The water and air samples were collected while the subjects were performing theseactivities. The blood samples were taken before and after the exposures. The biologicaland environmental samples were analyzed for the four THM species.Relationships between THM concentrations in tap water and in air are presented, alongwith a comparison of how these concentrations impact individual exposures as measuredby the corresponding blood concentrations after each water use activity. Includes 17 references, table, figures.

Product Details

Edition: Vol. - No. Published: 11/02/2003 Number of Pages: 17File Size: 1 file , 300 KB