Assessment of Health Risks from Chemical Contamination of Drinking Water for the Population of an Industrial Town

Konshina L.G., Lezhnin V.L.

Abstract.

For drinking purposes the population of the town of Karabash, Chelyabinsk Region, uses water from local sources containing high concentrations of some toxicants. We assessed carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks for people consuming water from the Kialim reservoir on the Big Kialim River, from Lake Serebry located in the vicinity of the town, and from wells, springs, and artesian wells. We established that the toxicity index of water of the Kialim water main was 0.4, of the Serebryansky water main – 1.2, and that of decentralized sources – up to 6.4. The assessed carcinogenic risks were 1.3*10-4, 4.1*10-4, and 2.1*10-4, respectively; the contribution of arsenic compounds was the highest. Thus, the levels of toxic exposure and carcinogenic risk posed by drinking water consumption, especially from the Serebryansky water main and local wells, artesian wells and springs, require organizational measures for their substitution or protection of water sources from contamination by toxic compounds.

Keywords:

drinking water, carcinogenic risk, arsenic.

Authors
Konshina Lidia G. e-mail: lida@ecko.uran.ru.
Lezhnin Vladimir L. /lezhnin@ecko.uran.ru
Institute of Indastrial Ecology Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences,
Ekaterinburg
Russia, 620219, Ekaterinburg, GSP-594, Sophy Kovalevskoy St., 20