Spatial assessment of tap water safety in China and associated health impacts

Abstract

The quality of municipal water supplies is of fundamental importance to public health and national security. Here, we assess the tap water quality in 31 provinces across China and examine the effects of natural and anthropogenic conditions on water quality and associated health risks. Precipitation is a crucial factor influencing the organic matter content and ionic conductivity in tap water, especially for arid and semi-arid regions. Although the concentration of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) is closely related to the organic matter content, the occurrence of highly toxic DBPs was more significantly affected by anthropogenic factors such as economic development and pollution emission. We confirmed nanofiltration as an effective point-of-use treatment to reduce the adverse effects of DBPs in public water supplies. Since DBPs in tap water is a long-term global problem, our results highlight the potential health hazards of drinking water brought about by social development and conclude that countries and regions with rapid development might face high DBP toxicity.