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Advanced Techniques for Identifying Novel Contaminants in Drinking Water using Non-Targeted Analysis: Method Development and Applications
Citation:
Sloop, J., G. Solomon, J. Casey, K. Isaacs, H. Liberatore, P. Reynolds, J. von Behren, AND S. Newton. Advanced Techniques for Identifying Novel Contaminants in Drinking Water using Non-Targeted Analysis: Method Development and Applications. CompTox CoP, Virtual, NC, July 27, 2023. https://doi.org/10.23645/epacomptox.23739546
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Description:
Chemicals routinely monitored in drinking water represent only a fraction of all chemicals present, and some of these unmonitored chemicals may have human health implications. Since the chemical composition of drinking water can change daily, sampling methods that integrate the chemical composition over a longer period than a one-time “grab sample” are needed to fully understand drinking water exposures. Furthermore, advanced analytical techniques are needed to characterize the chemical composition of drinking water and identify novel compounds. A method was developed that uses point-of-use activated carbon block filters as sampling devices for organic contaminants in drinking water. The method utilizes both liquid chromatography and gas chromatography with high resolution mass spectrometry for non-targeted analysis. Filter extraction efficiencies were determined by spiking and recovery experiments, and 20 tentatively identified chemicals from a validation sample set were confirmed by comparison to a reference chemical standard. The method was applied on a larger scale to 46 participants from five distinct regions in California. From an initial dataset containing thousands of possible chemical candidates, a total of 38 tentatively identified chemicals were confirmed as correct identifications. The confirmed chemicals spanned a wide range of chemical classes and product uses, including personal care products, industrial and agricultural chemicals, disinfection byproducts, and legacy-PFAS compounds. Differences in drinking water chemical composition across regions were explored using multivariate statistical approaches such as principal component analysis and random forest modeling. These findings suggest that drinking water is being impacted from a variety of sources, and more work can be done to better understand the totality of human exposure to chemicals via drinking water. The views expressed do not represent agency policy.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Advanced Techniques for Identifying Novel Contaminants in Drinking Water using Non-Targeted Analysis: Method Development and Applications
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