Tunnel vision in the drinking water research field – Time for non-targeted analysis implementation?

Abstract

A plethora of compounds can reach our drinking water and possibly affect human health. Still, mostly notorious pollutants like pesticides and disinfection by-products are monitored and regulated. With the increasing availability of high-resolution mass spectrometers (HRMS), non-targeted analyses of environmental samples have become possible. Pilot studies demonstrating the applicability of this approach in the drinking water research field were published. We would like to highlight these studies and appeal to researchers focused on water quality to better exploit the potential of HRMS instruments and broaden the scale of studied pollutants. In addition, the data and experience should be further shared, and the quality standard for the analytical procedures should be set. With advanced knowledge of compounds reaching the drinking water, potential threats would be revealed, and the comprehensive results on water pollution might also act as impulses for associated research branches, including toxicity assessment or development of water treatment technologies, and/or for policy-making.