How safe is drinking water?

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Drinking water is a complex mixture of many thousands of naturally occurring and anthropogenic chemicals. A large group of water contaminants have been identified and hazardous pollutants are regulated, but many currently unidentified chemicals in water could pose a threat to the environment and human health. The identification and investigation of these emerging contaminants in water is the objective of our NSERC-funded research program. For this purpose, we use powerful analytical techniques based on combining the technologies of Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC), Electrospray Ionization (ESI), High Field Asymmetric Waveform Ion Mobility Spectrometry (FAIMS), and Quadrupole-time-of-flight-Mass Spectrometry (QTOF-MS). These techniques are capable of separating, detecting, and identifying chemical pollutants present in water even at sub-parts-per-billion concentrations in a quick and convenient fashion. Using these unique analytical capabilities, we will investigate a group of recently discovered hydroxycarboxylic acids as well as N-nitrosamines and other nitrogen-containing emerging pollutants in drinking water in Ontario. We will also evaluate bottled drinking water with respect to priority pollutants such as phthalic acid diesters (plasticizers), bisphenol A, and their degradation and chlorination products. Our research will provide comprehensive information on formation, occurrence, fate, and environmental impact of investigated pollutants and improve the quality and safety of drinking water.