Elucidating drinking water quality deterioration in premise plumbing

阐明场所管道中饮用水质量恶化的情况

• 批准号: RGPIN-2021-03067
• 负责人: Payne, SarahJane
• 金额: $ 1.89万
• 依托单位: Queen's University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=749404
• 关键词: Elucidating; drinking; water; quality; deterioration

Premise plumbing is the portion of the water distribution system associated with private or public buildings (e.g. homes, schools). Compared to the main distribution system, premise plumbing has unique features that make it more vulnerable to water quality deterioration, such as longer stagnation periods, higher surface area to volume ratios, and elevated temperatures. Premise plumbing water quality is also unmonitored by most regulatory regimes. Increased water age, a result of water conservation priorities and improved plumbing fixture efficiency, heightens the risk of water quality degradation due to chlorine decays and the resultant flourishing of surface attached microbial communities (biofilm). There is clear evidence that water-efficient buildings can support 10-10000 times more opportunistic pathogens relative to conventional buildings. Further, an estimated 8% of waterborne outbreaks (excluding Legionella) in the USA are associated with premise plumbing deficiencies, and the proportion of premise plumbing based outbreaks is increasing. Beyond the microbiological risk, premise plumbing has also been implied as a site for inorganic contaminant accumulation in both chemically or biofilm mediated deposits. Accumulated inorganics, such as arsenic (As) (carcinogen), lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) (neurotoxins), represent a public health threat given that once accumulated on a surface, these toxins can be released into the water. Although premise plumbing is implied to have a significant role in governing inorganic water quality deterioration, it has not been the focus of controlled laboratory study. It is unclear how pipe materials, extended stagnation times, and water efficient configurations influence the accumulation and release of inorganic contaminants. This unique research program will identify, characterize, and explore the underlying biological and chemical mechanisms that govern the accumulation and release of inorganic contaminants (e.g. As, Pb, Mn) in premise plumbing. Ten HQP will train in an interdisciplinary environment and explore these mechanisms through three interrelated objectives that will examine i) the influence of pipe materials; ii) the role of stagnation/water age, including mimicking low flow conditions of water-efficient buildings; and, iii) the impact of upstream water quality and equilibrium shifts. This research program will grant fundamental mechanistic insights into the specific biological and chemical mechanisms (e.g. key functional groups for metal binding; metals surface deposit structure and characteristics) through which inorganics can accumulate and release. The new knowledge generated by this research will explain the underlying mechanisms and environmental conditions that govern inorganic contaminant accumulation/release in premise plumbing, newly equipping Regulators and Utilities in Canada, and globally, to make sound evidence-based decisions to minimize exposure risk and protect public health.

水管是与私人或公共建筑物（如家庭，学校）相关的供水系统的一部分。与主分配系统相比，房屋管道具有独特的功能，使其更容易受到水质恶化的影响，例如更长的停滞期，更高的表面积与体积比以及高温。以前的管道水质也没有受到大多数监管制度的监测。由于优先考虑节约用水和提高卫生设备的效率，水龄增加，加剧了由于氯衰变和由此产生的表面附着微生物群落（生物膜）的繁荣而导致的水质退化的风险。有明确的证据表明，节水型建筑可以支持10-10000倍的机会致病菌相对于传统的建筑。此外，在美国估计有8%的水传播疾病爆发（不包括军团菌）与房屋管道缺陷有关，基于房屋管道的疾病爆发的比例正在增加。除了微生物风险，房屋管道也被认为是化学或生物膜介导沉积物中无机污染物积聚的场所。积累的无机物，如砷（As）（致癌物），铅（Pb）和锰（Mn）（神经毒素），代表了公共卫生威胁，因为一旦积累在表面上，这些毒素可以释放到水中。 虽然前提管道是暗示有一个重要的作用，在治理无机水质恶化，它一直没有控制实验室研究的重点。目前尚不清楚管道材料、延长停滞时间和节水配置如何影响无机污染物的积累和释放。这个独特的研究计划将识别，表征和探索管理的积累和释放的无机污染物（如砷，铅，锰）在前提管道的基本生物和化学机制。10名HQP将在跨学科的环境中进行培训，并通过三个相互关联的目标探索这些机制，这些目标将研究i）管道材料的影响; ii）停滞/水龄的作用，包括模仿节水建筑的低流量条件;以及iii）上游水质和平衡变化的影响。 该研究计划将授予对特定生物和化学机制（例如金属结合的关键官能团;金属表面存款结构和特性）的基本机械见解，通过这些机制，无机物可以积累和释放。这项研究产生的新知识将解释管理房屋管道中无机污染物积累/释放的潜在机制和环境条件，新装备加拿大和全球的监管机构和公用事业公司，以做出基于证据的合理决策，最大限度地减少暴露风险并保护公众健康。