Population exposure of Zagreb city area to contaminants from drinking water

Sa？etak Availability of drinking water is considered to be the essential prerequisite for health, and the presence of contaminants under the maximum levels guarantees that it will not cause adverse effect to consumer’s health during their lifetime. The presence of contaminants in drinking water is the result of pollution from agriculture, industry, but also of human activity. Increased exposure to certain water contaminants can contribute to develop health disorders usually connected with particular contaminants, such as methaemoglobinemia, various neurological disorders, cardiovascular and kidney diseases and osteoporosis, and, in exceptional cases, death. Health-based guidance values (HBGVs) were established on the basis of chemical exposure assessment for certain contaminants, obtained from experimental studies on animals and corrected by a safety factor (10×10). In this way, it is possible to determine contaminant concentration to be entered into body during whole lifetime without any adverse health effects. This paper presents population exposure assessment of Zagreb city area to contaminants from drinking water