Definitive answers regarding arsenic health risks at low exposures will be elusive without additional research.
The adequacy of the current maximum contaminant level (MCL) for arsenic is being evaluated by the US Environmental Protection Agency. If recent theoretical estimates of chronic effects and cancer risks prove accurate, the current MCL may not effectively protect health. Knowledge of arsenic pharmacokinetics and mechanisms in humans, however, is not complete enough to provide a definitive answer, and current epidemiologic evidence is too inconsistent and too fraught with uncertainty regarding arsenic exposure to be helpful in assessing low‐level risks.
This article summarizes the results of the regulatory‐negotiation, or reg‐neg, process that was invoked to develop regulations for disinfectants and disinfection by‐products. The content of the September 1993 draft rule is discussed here. There could be additional changes as the final rule is developed. The negotiating process is almost complete and is expected to result in the development of three closely related rules: the Disinfectants‐Disinfection By‐Products Rule; the Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (ESWTR); and the Information Collection Rule (ICR), which is designed to support the other two rule‐makings. An overview of the three rules has been presented and the ICR has also been described in detail. The ESWTR will be the subject of a future article.
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) are receiving global attention due to their persistence in the environment through wastewater effluent discharges and past improper industrial waste disposal. They are resistant to biological degradation and if present in wastewater are discharged into the environment. The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) issued drinking water Health Advisories for PFOA and PFOS at 70 ng/L each and for the sum of the two. The need for an enforceable primary drinking water regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) is currently being assessed. The USEPA faces stringent legal constraints and technical barriers to develop a primary drinking water regulation for PFOA and PFOS. This review synthesizes current knowledge providing a publicly available, comprehensive point of reference for researchers, water utilities, industry, and regulatory agencies to better understand and address cross-cutting issues associated with regulation of PFOA and PFOS contamination of drinking water.
Arsenic has long been known to be harmful to human health at high levels of exposure. The regulation of arsenic, however, presents several technical and policy challenges to the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). The complexity of the issues involved has caused the agency to miss several deadlines during its efforts to prepare a primary drinking water regulation for arsenic, despite more than a decade of deliberations. The background, status, and issues involved in the development of this regulation are reviewed in this article.
In response to mandates of the 1986 Safe Drinking Water Act amendments, the US Environmental Protection Agency is developing, proposing, and adopting new drinking water regulations that are significantly changing water treatment practices and water utility operations. In February 1990, the author summarized the history, content, status, and schedule of regulations as of January 1990. In this article, the author presents updated information on the regulations covered in the February 1990 article and summarizes new and anticipated regulations as of January 1992.
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