The primary objective of this study was to examine the extent to which common,
everyday water use activities in a household environment result in significant increases in
the levels of trihalomethanes (THMs) in the blood. The study was conducted in a North Carolina
community and a community in Texas. The study recruited several male and female volunteers
from each community to participate in a number of different activities involving the use
of tap water. Using a residential setting as a controlled environment, blood, air, and
water samples were collected while subjects performed well-defined and well-characterized
household activities, including showering, bathing, residing in an adjoining
room during a shower, eating prepared meals, drinking cool tap water, preparing and
drinking a hot water-based beverage made from tap water, washing dishes by hand,
washing dishes in an automatic dishwasher, washing and drying clothes, washing clothes
using a chlorine-based bleach, and washing hands with warm water. All activities were
standardized, e.g., duration of activity, water temperature, amount of water consumption,
etc. The water and air samples were collected while the subjects were performing these
activities. The blood samples were taken before and after the exposures. The biological
and environmental samples were analyzed for the four THM species.
Relationships between THM concentrations in tap water and in air are presented, along
with a comparison of how these concentrations impact individual exposures as measured
by the corresponding blood concentrations after each water use activity. Includes 17 references, table, figures.
| Edition : | Vol. - No. |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 300 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 17 |
| Published : | 11/02/2003 |
