The threat of carcinogens in drinking water

It's #TechnicalTuesday so #teamWRc toxicologist Marek Pípal is discussing the threat of carcinogens in drinking water.

The number of substances found in UK drinking water supply is increasing, with some substances posing a threat due to their genotoxic and carcinogenic properties. Combined with increasing societal awareness of exposure to harmful chemicals from different sources, there is increasing pressure on regulators and water providers to deliver wholesome water quality and maintain a high level of trust for UK consumers.

The National Centre for Environmental Toxicology (NCET) at WRc Group conducts a risk assessment for compounds that are potentially carcinogenic with genotoxic activity (the ability to cause alterations to DNA potentially leading to mutations). The presence of these compounds makes risk management and communication of risks to consumers more difficult. For such chemicals, the Margin of Exposure approach (MOE) can be used by risk managers to aid the prioritisation of chemicals and to facilitate the communication of the risks associated with genotoxic chemical carcinogens. MOE can also help to evaluate the added risk in cases where exposure is unavoidable or identify the most sensitive groups within the population for effective public health management. The approach provides a specific response to the detected concentration of genotoxic compounds contrary to the commonly used recommendation in UK: As Low As Reasonably Practicable.