Drinking water disinfection byproducts – new analytical approaches to enable exposure management

Safe drinking water is fundamental for society.

Disinfection of drinking water has improved public health but also produces disinfection byproducts (DBPs), many of which are toxic and carcinogenic. Although more than 700 DBPs have been identified they represent less than 50 % of the total DBPs formed. Hence, the full human exposure of DBPs is currently unknown.

Further, the estimated health effects from the 11 specific DBPs monitored in Europe and USA are two orders of magnitude smaller than the estimated effects of total DBPs.

Hence, assessing exposure to unknown or non-monitored DBPs is key to understand health risks but have not been possible due to previous limitations in determination methods.

This project, in close collaboration with drinking water producers, aims to (1) compare many more types of DBP determination methods than previously, including the most advanced non-target approaches for complex mixtures of unknown low-level contaminants, (2) develop analytical approaches for DBP groups not captured adequately by previous analyses, and (3) develop and test new optimized monitoring approaches better reflecting the overall DBP diversity and exposure, providing decision support for selecting effective measures to reduce exposure, and means to verify that the DBP exposure management is successful.

This research is required for comprehensive societal capacity to handle the DBP issue and ensure safest possible drinking water.