The potential health
hazards of trihalomethanes (THMs) contamination in drinking water in Shenzhen
were estimated. The concentrations of THMs in drinking water from 13
centralized water supply systems were determined from Jan 2015 to Dec 2016 in Shenzhen. The
water environmental health risk assessment model recommended by USEPA was
established based on the water monitoring data of THMs. Preliminary health
risks of THMs through ingestion
of drinking water were assessed. The median
concentrations of THMs, TCM, DBCM, BDCM and TBM in
drinking water were 37.0, 24.5, 2.3, 7.8 and 0.3 μg/L respectively. The
values of carcinogenic risks for THMs, TCM, DBCM, BDCM, and TBM to the
individual per year in drinking water were 4.52 × 10-5, 2.38 × 10-5,
6.07 × 10-6, 1.52 × 10-5 and 7.45 × 10-8 respectively. The values of non-carcinogenic risks for THMs, TCM, DBCM, BDCM and TBM to the individual
per year in drinking water were 9.32 × 10-2, 7.68 × 10-2,
3.61 × 10-3, and 1.23 × 10-2 and 4.71 × 10-4 respectively. The health
risk caused by THMs to the individual through ingestion of drinking water was in the order of TCM, BDCM,
DBCM and TBM
from high to low. The carcinogenic risks induced by THMs through ingestion of
drinking water are acceptable with tolerable
value offered by USEPA (1.0 × 10-6 - 1.0 × 10-4), but reached
to the tolerable value (5.0 × 10-5) by International Commission
on Radiological Protection (ICRP). The non-carcinogenic risk of THMs is
tolerable (HI
< 1).
Cite this paper
Fang, D. , Zhou, G. , Yu, S. , Feng, J. and Guo, Y. (2019). Human Health Risk Assessment of Trihalomethanes through Ingestion of Drinking Water in Shenzhen, China. Open Access Library Journal, 6, e5406. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1105406.
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