Risk Communication and Factors Influencing Private Well Testing Behavior: A Systematic Scoping Review

Colley, Sarah; Kane, Peter K M; Gibson, Jacqueline MacDonald

doi:10.3390/ijerph16224333

Cited by 25 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 41 publications

(131 reference statements)

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“…Theories applied to well water stewardship include the Common-sense Model; 28 the Risk, Attitudes, Norms, Abilities, and Self-regulation Model model; 23 and the Health Belief Model (HBM). 29,30 The HBM assumes that decisions to adopt a health behaviour are based on 6 constructs that influence perceptions of health risks. 31 These constructs are perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived barriers, perceived benefits, cues to action, and self-efficacy.…”

Section: Theoretical Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring Well Water Testing Behaviour Through the Health Belief Model

Munene

Lockyer

Checkley

et al. 2020

Environ�Health�Insights

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Health problems can arise from consuming contaminated well water. Well water testing can help prevent negative health outcomes associated with consuming contaminated water. The aim of this study was to understand the factors influencing well owner decisions to conduct water testing through the theoretical lens of the Health Belief Model. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 well owners and used framework analysis to sort and analyse the data. The results demonstrated that well owners’ perceived susceptibility to well water contamination was low, while the perceived severity of contamination, benefits of testing, and self-efficacy towards testing were high. Cues to action to promote testing focused on increasing well owner education and awareness through well stewardship programmes and reminders to test. Participants faced some barriers to water testing. Increasing education and awareness about well water contamination and water testing, while reducing logistical barriers to testing, may improve compliance with water testing.

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Section: Theoretical Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring Well Water Testing Behaviour Through the Health Belief Model

Munene

Lockyer

Checkley

et al. 2020

Environ�Health�Insights

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…In response, a body of research has called for wider implementation of protections for well users such as increased risk communication to promote well testing [8][9][10][11][12] and removing financial barriers to implement household and point-of-use (POU) water treatment for Pb [1,13]. However, even where increased well testing is achieved, knowledge gaps exist around the effectiveness of POU water treatment devices for well users since few U.S. studies have characterized the effectiveness of consumer water filter performance in household settings under real-world conditions over extended periods of time.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Under-Sink Activated Carbon Water Filters Effectively Remove Lead from Private Well Water for over Six Months

Mulhern

Gibson

2020

Water

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Children who rely on private well water in the United States have been shown to be at greater risk of having elevated blood lead levels. Evidence-based solutions are needed to prevent drinking water lead exposure among private well users, but minimal data are available regarding the real-world effectiveness of available interventions like point-of-use water treatment for well water. In this study, under-sink activated carbon block water filters were tested for lead and other heavy metals removal in an eight-month longitudinal study in 17 homes relying on private wells. The device removed 98% of all influent lead for the entirety of the study, with all effluent lead levels less than 1 µg/L. Profile sampling in a subset of homes showed that the faucet fixture is a significant source of lead leaching where well water is corrosive. Flushing alone was not capable of reducing first-draw lead to levels below 1 µg/L, but the under-sink filter was found to increase the safety and effectiveness of faucet flushing. The results of this study can be used by individual well users and policymakers alike to improve decision-making around the use of under-sink point-of-use devices to prevent disproportionate lead exposures among private well users.

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“…For example, there is a current lack of private well testing, which hampers detection of impacts on domestic drinking water. Approximately 42 million Americans rely on private well systems for their main source of water (Colley et al 2019). Some states in the USA have mandatory private well testing laws but performing treatment on contaminated wells can be optional (Flanagan et al 2018).…”

Section: Managing Fss Through Regulationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Freshwater salinization syndrome: from emerging global problem to managing risks

et al. 2021

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Freshwater salinization is an emerging global problem impacting safe drinking water, ecosystem health and biodiversity, infrastructure corrosion, and food production. Freshwater salinization originates from diverse anthropogenic and geologic sources including road salts, human-accelerated weathering, sewage, urban construction, fertilizer, mine drainage, resource extraction, water softeners, saltwater intrusion, and evaporative concentration of ions due to hydrologic alterations and climate change. The complex interrelationships between salt ions and chemical, biological, and geologic parameters and consequences on the natural, social, and built environment are called Freshwater Salinization Syndrome (FSS). Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of salinization issues (past, present, and future), and we investigate drivers and solutions. We analyze the expanding global magnitude and scope of FSS including its discovery in humid regions, connections to human-accelerated weathering and mobilization of ‘chemical cocktails.’ We also present data illustrating: (1) increasing trends in salt ion concentrations in some of the world’s major freshwaters, including critical drinking water supplies; (2) decreasing trends in nutrient concentrations in rivers due to regulations but increasing trends in salinization, which have been due to lack of adequate management and regulations; (3) regional trends in atmospheric deposition of salt ions and storage of salt ions in soils and groundwater, and (4) applications of specific conductance as a proxy for tracking sources and concentrations of groups of elements in freshwaters. We prioritize FSS research needs related to better understanding: (1) effects of saltwater intrusion on ecosystem processes, (2) potential health risks from groundwater contamination of home wells, (3) potential risks to clean and safe drinking water sources, (4) economic and safety impacts of infrastructure corrosion, (5) alteration of biodiversity and ecosystem functions, and (6) application of high-frequency sensors in state-of-the art monitoring and management. We evaluate management solutions using a watershed approach spanning air, land, and water to explore variations in sources, fate and transport of different salt ions (e.g. monitoring of atmospheric deposition of ions, stormwater management, groundwater remediation, and managing road runoff). We also identify tradeoffs in management approaches such as unanticipated retention and release of chemical cocktails from urban stormwater management best management practices (BMPs) and unintended consequences of alternative deicers on water quality. Overall, we show that FSS has direct and indirect effects on mobilization of diverse chemical cocktails of ions, metals, nutrients, organics, and radionuclides in freshwaters with mounting impacts. Our comprehensive review suggests what could happen if FSS were not managed into the future and evaluates strategies for reducing increasing risks to clean and safe drinking water, human health, costly infrastructure, biodiversity, and critical ecosystem services.

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Risk Communication and Factors Influencing Private Well Testing Behavior: A Systematic Scoping Review

Cited by 25 publications

References 41 publications

Exploring Well Water Testing Behaviour Through the Health Belief Model

Exploring Well Water Testing Behaviour Through the Health Belief Model

Under-Sink Activated Carbon Water Filters Effectively Remove Lead from Private Well Water for over Six Months

Freshwater salinization syndrome: from emerging global problem to managing risks

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