The Background Documents Referred to in This Chapter May Be Found on the Water
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12 Chemical fact sheets he background documents referred to in this chapter may be found on the Water TSanitation and Health website at http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/ dwq/guidelines/en/. 12.1 Acrylamide Residual acrylamide monomer occurs in polyacrylamide coagulants used in the treat- ment of drinking-water. In general, the maximum authorized dose of polymer is 1mg/litre. At a monomer content of 0.05%, this corresponds to a maximum theoret- ical concentration of 0.5mg/litre of the monomer in water. Practical concentrations may be lower by a factor of 2–3. This applies to the anionic and non-ionic polyacry- lamides, but residual levels from cationic polyacrylamides may be higher. Polyacry- lamides are also used as grouting agents in the construction of drinking-water reservoirs and wells. Additional human exposure might result from food, owing to the use of polyacrylamide in food processing and the potential formation of acrylamide in foods cooked at high temperatures. Guideline value 0.0005 mg/litre (0.5 mg/litre) Occurrence Concentrations of a few micrograms per litre have been detected in tap water. Basis of guideline Combined mammary, thyroid and uterine tumours observed in derivation female rats in a drinking-water study, and using the linearized multistage model Limit of detection 0.032 mg/litre by GC; 0.2 mg/litre by HPLC; 10 mg/litre by HPLC with UV detection Treatment achievability Conventional treatment processes do not remove acrylamide. Acrylamide concentrations in drinking-water are controlled by limiting either the acrylamide content of polyacrylamide flocculants or the dose used, or both. Additional comments Although the practical quantification level for acrylamide in most laboratories is above the guideline value (generally in the order of 1 mg/litre), concentrations in drinking-water can be controlled by product and dose specification. 296 12. CHEMICAL FACT SHEETS Toxicological review Following ingestion, acrylamide is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and widely distributed in body fluids. Acrylamide can cross the placenta. It is neurotoxic, affects germ cells and impairs reproductive function. In mutagenicity assays, acry- lamide was negative in the Ames test but induced gene mutations in mammalian cells and chromosomal aberrations in vitro and in vivo. In a long-term carcinogenicity study in rats exposed via drinking-water, acrylamide induced scrotal, thyroid and adrenal tumours in males and mammary, thyroid and uterine tumours in females. IARC has placed acrylamide in Group 2A. Recent data have shown that exposure to acrylamide from cooked food is much higher than previously thought. The signifi- cance of this new information for the risk assessment has not yet been determined. History of guideline development The 1958, 1963 and 1971 WHO International Standards for Drinking-water and the first edition of the Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, published in 1984, did not refer to acrylamide. The 1993 Guidelines established a guideline value of 0.0005mg/litre associated with an upper-bound excess lifetime cancer risk of 10-5, noting that although the practical quantification level for acrylamide is generally in the order of 0.001mg/litre, concentrations in drinking-water can be controlled by product and dose specification. Assessment date The risk assessment was conducted in 2003. Principal reference WHO (2003) Acrylamide in drinking-water. Background document for preparation of WHO Guidelines for drinking-water quality. Geneva, World Health Organization (WHO/SDE/WSH/03.04/71). 12.2 Alachlor Alachlor (CAS No. 15972-60-8) is a pre- and post-emergence herbicide used to control annual grasses and many broad-leaved weeds in maize and a number of other crops. It is lost from soil mainly through volatilization, photodegradation and biodegrada- tion. Many alachlor degradation products have been identified in soil. 297 GUIDELINES FOR DRINKING-WATER QUALITY Guideline value 0.02 mg/litre Occurrence Has been detected in groundwater and surface water; has also been detected in drinking-water at levels below 0.002 mg/litre Basis of guideline Calculated by applying the linearized multistage model to data on the derivation incidence of nasal tumours in rats Limit of detection 0.1 mg/litre by gas–liquid chromatography with electrolytic conductivity detection in the nitrogen mode or by capillary column GC with a nitrogen–phosphorus detector Treatment achievability 0.001 mg/litre should be achievable using GAC Toxicological review On the basis of available experimental data, evidence for the genotoxicity of alachlor is considered to be equivocal. However, a metabolite of alachlor, 2,6-diethylaniline, has been shown to be mutagenic. Available data from two studies in rats clearly indi- cate that alachlor is carcinogenic, causing benign and malignant tumours of the nasal turbinate, malignant stomach tumours and benign thyroid tumours. History of guideline development The 1958 and 1963 WHO International Standards for Drinking-water did not refer to alachlor, but the 1971 International Standards suggested that pesticide residues that may occur in community water supplies make only a minimal contribution to the total daily intake of pesticides for the population served. Alachlor was not evaluated in the first edition of the Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, published in 1984, but the 1993 Guidelines calculated a guideline value of 0.02mg/litre for alachlor in drinking-water, corresponding to an upper-bound excess lifetime cancer risk of 10-5. Assessment date The risk assessment was originally conducted in 1993. The Final Task Force Meeting in 2003 agreed that this risk assessment be brought forward to this edition of the Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality. Principal reference WHO (2003) Alachlor in drinking-water. Background document for preparation of WHO Guidelines for drinking-water quality. Geneva, World Health Organization (WHO/SDE/WSH/03.04/31). 12.3 Aldicarb Aldicarb (CAS No. 116-06-3) is a systemic pesticide used to control nematodes in soil and insects and mites on a variety of crops. It is very soluble in water and highly mobile in soil. It degrades mainly by biodegradation and hydrolysis, persisting for weeks to months. 298 12. CHEMICAL FACT SHEETS Guideline value 0.01 mg/litre Occurrence Frequently found as a contaminant in groundwater, particularly when associated with sandy soil; concentrations in well water as high as 500 mg/litre have been measured. Aldicarb sulfoxide and aldicarb sulfone residues are found in an approximately 1 : 1 ratio in groundwater. ADI 0.003 mg/kg of body weight based on cholinesterase depression in a single oral dose study in human volunteers Limit of detection 0.001 mg/litre by reverse-phase HPLC with fluorescence detection Treatment achievability 0.001 mg/litre should be achievable using GAC or ozonation Guideline derivation • allocation to water 10% of ADI • weight 60-kg adult • consumption 2 litres/day Additional comments The guideline value derived from the 1992 JMPR assessment was very similar to the guideline value derived in the second edition, which was therefore retained. Toxicological review Aldicarb is one of the most acutely toxic pesticides in use, although the only consis- tently observed toxic effect with both long-term and single-dose administration is acetylcholinesterase inhibition. It is metabolized to the sulfoxide and sulfone. Aldicarb sulfoxide is a more potent inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase than aldicarb itself, while aldicarb sulfone is considerably less toxic than either aldicarb or the sulfoxide. The weight of evidence indicates that aldicarb, aldicarb sulfoxide and aldicarb sulfone are not genotoxic or carcinogenic. IARC has concluded that aldicarb is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity (Group 3). History of guideline development The 1958 and 1963 WHO International Standards for Drinking-water did not refer to aldicarb, but the 1971 International Standards suggested that pesticide residues that may occur in community water supplies make only a minimal contribution to the total daily intake of pesticides for the population served. Aldicarb was not evaluated in the first edition of the Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, published in 1984, but a health-based guideline value of 0.01mg/litre was derived for aldicarb in the 1993 Guidelines. Assessment date The risk assessment was conducted in 2003. 299 GUIDELINES FOR DRINKING-WATER QUALITY Principal references FAO/WHO (1993) Pesticide residues in food – 1992. Rome, Food and Agriculture Orga- nization of the United Nations, Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (Report No. 116). WHO (2003) Aldicarb in drinking-water. Background document for preparation of WHO Guidelines for drinking-water quality. Geneva, World Health Organization (WHO/SDE/WSH/03.04/72). 12.4 Aldrin and dieldrin Aldrin (CAS No. 309-00-2) and dieldrin (CAS No. 60-57-1) are chlorinated pesticides that are used against soil-dwelling pests, for wood protection and, in the case of diel- drin, against insects of public health importance. Since the early 1970s, a number of countries have either severely restricted or banned the use of both compounds, par- ticularly in agriculture. The two compounds are closely related with respect to their toxicology and mode of action. Aldrin is rapidly converted to dieldrin under most environmental conditions and in the body. Dieldrin is a highly persistent organochlo- rine compound that has low mobility in soil, can be lost to the atmosphere and bioac- cumulates. Dietary