AWWA WQTC57142

The endocrine systems of animals can be changed by compounds that have been detected in water supplies around the world. These substances are collectively known as endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs). Pharmaceutical compounds and their metabolites have been collectively termed pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs). Many PhACs have now been detected in surface waters, a few of which have been detected in finished drinking water. Personal care products (PCPs) create another class of emerging contaminants that have been detected in surface and groundwaters. EDCs and PhACs/PCPs (PPCPs) have been linked to a variety of adverse effects on wildlife. Some public and regulatory agencies view EDC & PPCP compounds in drinking water as a potential human health risk. Pesticides and herbicides can be EDCs and have been detected in surface and finished drinking waters since 1970s. However, over the past decade as analytical techniques to detect part-per-trillion levels of organic compounds, many industrial-produced chemicals have been detected in finished wastewater, industrial runoff, rivers, drinking water sources, and even finished drinking water. Numerous studies have shown that conventional water treatment plants (WTPs) would be expected to remove less than 20% of most EDCs or PPCPs. Powdered activated carbon (PAC) addition appears to be a viable, relatively simple and economical, upgrade for conventional WTPs to remove EDCs and PPCPs. Advanced technologies (e.g., membrane filtration and AOPs) are costly but have the potential to achieve very high EDC or PPCP removals. Includes 108 references, tables.

Product Details

Edition:

Vol. - No.

Published:

11/01/2002

Number of Pages:

20

File Size:

1 file , 340 KB