CJFST.2018.10.2.14


Original scientific paper                                                                                                                                                     DOI: 10.17508/CJFST.2018.10.2.14

Population exposure of Zagreb city area to contaminants from drinking water

DANIJELA STRAŽANAC1, LEONARD MATIJEVIĆ1, JASENKA PETRIĆ1, DARIO ČAGALJ1, JASENKA BABIĆ2, BRIGITA HENGL1

1Croatian Food Agency, I. Gundulića 36b, Osijek
2City of Zagreb, City Office for Health, Department of Health Ecology, Draškovićeva 15/III, Zagreb

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT
Article history:
Received: April 20, 2018
Accepted: June 26, 2018
Availability of drinking water is considered to be the essential prerequisite for health, and the presence of contaminants under the maximum levels guarantees that it will not cause adverse effect to consumer’s health during their lifetime. The presence of contaminants in drinking water is the result of pollution from agriculture, industry, but also of human activity. Increased exposure to certain water contaminants can contribute to develop health disorders usually connected with particular contaminants, such as methaemoglobinemia, various neurological disorders, cardiovascular and kidney diseases and osteoporosis, and, in exceptional cases, death. Health-based guidance values (HBGVs) were established on the basis of chemical exposure assessment for certain contaminants, obtained from experimental studies on animals and corrected by a safety factor (10×10). In this way, it is possible to determine contaminant concentration to be entered into body during whole lifetime without any adverse health effects. This paper presents population exposure assessment of Zagreb city area to contaminants from drinking water.
Keywords:
drinking water,
contaminants,
HBGVs,
exposure assessment