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EFFECTIVE RISK MANAGEMENT OF ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING CHEMICALS USING DRINKING WATER TREATMENT PROCESSES
Citation:
Cicmanec*, J L. EFFECTIVE RISK MANAGEMENT OF ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING CHEMICALS USING DRINKING WATER TREATMENT PROCESSES. Presented at Society for Risk Analysis, Seattle, WA, 12/3-5/2001.
Description:
The conventional drinking water treamtent processes of coagulation, flocculation, and filtration as well as specialized treatment processes have been examined for their capacity to remove endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). A groupf od EDCs including 4-nonylphenol, diethylphthalate, dis-diethylhexylphthalate, disphenol A, endosulfan, methoxychlor, PCBs, dioxin, and DDT were selected on the basis of their persistence in the environment as well as representing a wide range of chemical groups including pesticides, plasticizers, sulfactants, and organic chlorinated compounds. Actual environmental contamination levels were measured for many of these EDCs as they might occur in surface drinking water sources. A thorough literature searth revealed that the conventional water treatment technologies of coagulation and filtration showed varying capacities to remove EDCs, however, granular activated carbon and powdered activated carbon are able to remove most EDCs below maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) in a cost-effective manner. Bench-scale laboratory testing has established Isotherm constants for most of the individual EDCs using the Freundlich equation. On a practical level both the GAC system used in the Cincinati Water Treatment Plant and PAC have been shown to effectively remove EDCs while staying within a cost-effective range of two cents/1000 gal of water to consumers. These findings offer great promise for the public in dealing with the broad-based threat that potential EDCs may hold for society. This presentation does not necessarily represent official EPA policy.