Ten years ago, I was asked by a health agency about my opinion concerning the guidelines for drinking water quality. I suggested fixing the maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) to zero ng/L, once and for all for each pollutant. Such a proposition is founded on the fact that regularly the MAC is lowered following some considerations like 1) the lethal dose determination and toxicity studies, 2) the progress recorded in analytical methods and water treatment technologies and, 3) the technical-economic features of the country. Attaining the zero ng/L target is related to applying the best available technologies such as those used in the International Space Station. This work focuses on the hard challenges in dealing with the disinfection by-products (DBPs). This work concludes that, in terms of poisoning, unregulated products vs. regulated products, the question does not matter. DBPs formation should be absolutely avoided. Moreover, if DBPs are unwantedly produced, all of them must be securely removed from the water at the highest level as other organic matters. Finally, disinfection is killing microorganisms present in water; but, it is also killing human beings drinking water via its inherent toxic DBPs. Treating chemically water should be avoided.
Cite this paper
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