Tapwater exposures, effects potential, and residential risk management in Northern Plains Nations

Paul M. Bradley; Kristin M. Romanok; Kelly L. Smalling; Michael J. Focazio; Robert Charboneau; Christine Marie George; Ana Navas-Acien; Marcia O'Leary; Reno Red Cloud; Tracy Zacher; Sara E. Breitmeyer; Mary C. Cardon; Christa K. Cuny; Guthrie Ducheneaux; Kendra Enright; Nicola Evans; James L. Gray; David E. Harvey; Michelle Hladik; Leslie K. Kanagy; Keith Loftin; R. Blaine McCleskey; Elizabeth Medlock-Kakaley; Shannon M. Meppelink; Joshua F. Valder; Christopher P. Weis

doi:10.1021/acsestwater.2c00293

Tapwater exposures, effects potential, and residential risk management in Northern Plains Nations

Environmental Science and Technology Water

By: Paul M. Bradley, Kristin M. Romanok, Kelly L. Smalling, Michael J. Focazio, Robert Charboneau, Christine Marie George, Ana Navas-Acien, Marcia O'Leary, Reno Red Cloud, Tracy Zacher, Sara E. Breitmeyer, Mary C. Cardon, Christa K. Cuny, Guthrie Ducheneaux, Kendra Enright, Nicola Evans, James L. Gray, David E. Harvey, Michelle Hladik, Leslie K. Kanagy, Keith Loftin, R. Blaine McCleskey, Elizabeth Medlock-Kakaley, Shannon M. Meppelink, Joshua F. Valder, and Christopher P. Weis

https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.2c00293

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Abstract

In the United States (US), private-supply tapwater (TW) is rarely monitored. This data gap undermines individual/community risk-management decision-making, leading to an increased probability of unrecognized contaminant exposures in rural and remote locations that rely on private wells. We assessed point-of-use (POU) TW in three northern plains Tribal Nations, where ongoing TW arsenic (As) interventions include expansion of small community water systems and POU adsorptive-media treatment for Strong Heart Water Study participants. Samples from 34 private-well and 22 public-supply sites were analyzed for 476 organics, 34 inorganics, and 3 in vitro bioactivities. 63 organics and 30 inorganics were detected. Arsenic, uranium (U), and lead (Pb) were detected in 54%, 43%, and 20% of samples, respectively. Concentrations equivalent to public-supply maximum contaminant level(s) (MCL) were exceeded only in untreated private-well samples (As 47%, U 3%). Precautionary health-based screening levels were exceeded frequently, due to inorganics in private supplies and chlorine-based disinfection byproducts in public supplies. The results indicate that simultaneous exposures to co-occurring TW contaminants are common, warranting consideration of expanded source, point-of-entry, or POU treatment(s). This study illustrates the importance of increased monitoring of private-well TW, employing a broad, environmentally informative analytical scope, to reduce the risks of unrecognized contaminant exposures.

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Additional publication details
Publication type	Article
Publication Subtype	Journal Article
Title	Tapwater exposures, effects potential, and residential risk management in Northern Plains Nations
Series title	Environmental Science and Technology Water
DOI	10.1021/acsestwater.2c00293
Volume	2
Issue	10
Year Published	2022
Language	English
Publisher	American Chemical Society
Contributing office(s)	South Atlantic Water Science Center
Description	17 p.
First page	1772
Last page	1788
Country	United States
State	North Dakota, South Dakota
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