Distribution Characteristics and Health Risk Assessment of Emerging Contaminants from Raw Water to Drinking Water in Shanghai

Abstract

By monitoring the distribution of emerging contaminants in drinking water from the source to the tap, the concentration of algal toxins, endocrine disruptors, and antibiotics in each water supply link were determined, and the health risks of emerging contaminants to the human body were evaluated. The results showed that algal toxins in the waterworks inflow were mainly MC-RR and MC-LR, whereas the only endocrine disruptors in the waterworks inflow were bisphenol-s and estrone. The algal toxins, endocrine disruptors, and antibiotics were removed effectively after the water treatment process in the waterworks. During the monitoring period, florfenicol (FF) was mainly detected, except in January 2020 when a large number of sulfa antibiotics were detected. The removal effect of FF was obviously correlated with the form of chlorine. Compared with that of combined chlorine disinfection, free chlorine disinfection had a better effect on the removal of FF. The health risk numbers of algal toxins, endocrine disruptors, and antibiotics were far less than 1, especially in the secondary water supply. The results showed that the three emerging contaminants in drinking water did not pose a direct threat to human health.