Levin et al. 2024 — US drinking water quality: contaminants, regulations, and health implications
This comprehensive review examined the occurrence, regulation, and health implications of multiple contaminants in US drinking water, including lead, arsenic, uranium, cadmium, mercury, and chromium. The authors synthesized data from US public water system monitoring programs alongside epidemiological evidence for health effects, comparing current regulatory action levels and maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) against the latest toxicological evidence. The paper provides a critical assessment of gaps between regulatory limits and health-protective exposure thresholds.
Key numbers
The review presents regulatory limits for each metal alongside occurrence data from large-scale US monitoring programs. Lead: EPA action level 15 µg/L; proposed revision to 10 µg/L (as of review date). Arsenic: MCL 10 µg/L. Uranium: MCL 30 µg/L. Chromium: MCL 100 µg/L (total chromium). DOI: 10.1038/s41370-023-00597-z.
Methods (brief)
Systematic narrative review of regulatory documents, monitoring databases (UCMR, PWS databases), and epidemiological literature. Covers US federal (EPA, FDA) and state-level regulatory frameworks.
Implications
Certification: Comprehensive regulatory landscape for water metals directly relevant to food manufacturing water quality standards and infant formula reconstitution risk. Courses: Core reference for the US regulatory environment module covering multiple metals and water matrix. App: Informs risk framing for product categories where processing water source matters (infant formula, beverages, canned goods with added water). Microbiome: Not addressed.