Juxtaposition of intensive agriculture, vulnerable aquifers, and mixed chemical/microbial exposures in private-well tapwater in northeast Iowa
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Abstract
In the United States and globally, contaminant exposure in unregulated private-well point-of-use tapwater (TW) is a recognized public-health data gap and an obstacle to both risk-management and homeowner decision making. To help address the lack of data on broad contaminant exposures in private-well TW from hydrologically-vulnerable (alluvial, karst) aquifers in agriculturally-intensive landscapes, samples were collected in 2018–2019 from 47 northeast Iowa farms and analyzed for 35 inorganics, 437 unique organics, 5 in vitro bioassays, and 11 microbial assays. Twenty-six inorganics and 51 organics, dominated by pesticides and related transformation products (35 herbicide-, 5 insecticide-, and 2 fungicide-related), were observed in TW. Heterotrophic bacteria detections were near ubiquitous (94 % of the samples), with detection of total coliform bacteria in 28 % of the samples and growth on at least one putative-pathogen selective media across all TW samples. Health-based hazard index screening levels were exceeded frequently in private-well TW and attributed primarily to inorganics (nitrate, uranium). Results support incorporation of residential treatment systems to protect against contaminant exposure and the need for increased monitoring of rural private-well homes. Continued assessment of unmonitored and unregulated private-supply TW is needed to model contaminant exposures and human-health risks.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Juxtaposition of intensive agriculture, vulnerable aquifers, and mixed chemical/microbial exposures in private-well tapwater in northeast Iowa |
| Series title | Environmental Science and Technology: Water |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161672 |
| Volume | 868 |
| Year Published | 2023 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Elsevier |
| Contributing office(s) | California Water Science Center, Kansas Water Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center, Central Midwest Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center |
| Description | 161672, 11 p. |
| Country | United States |
| State | Iowa |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |