What are organophosphate esters (OPEs) and why are they a concern in drinking water?

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are emerging pollutants used as flame retardants and plasticizers in various products. They are a concern in drinking water because studies, like the one assessing OPEs in China, indicate a potential carcinogenic risk (>1.00E-6) from ingestion, even if non-carcinogenic effects are not obvious, based on USEPA oral cancer slope factors.

What concentration levels of OPEs have been detected in drinking water?

A study covering 79 cities in China found total concentrations of 14 common OPEs in drinking water ranging from 13.42 to 265.48 ng/L. While exposure via drinking water was lower than food ingestion, these levels still suggested a potential cancer risk based on USEPA oral cancer slope factors.

Which specific organophosphate ester contributes most to cancer risk in drinking water?

Tris-(2,3-dibromopropyl) phosphate (TDBPP) was identified as the primary contributor to carcinogenic risk from OPEs in drinking water, accounting for approximately 72.4% of the total risk. This makes TDBPP a critical compound for 'prior monitoring' in water safety assessments.

How effective are advanced water treatment technologies at reducing OPEs and their health risks?

Advanced Drinking Water Treatment Technologies (DWTT) are significantly more effective than conventional methods at reducing OPEs. Compared to conventional DWTT, advanced systems can reduce carcinogenic risk by about 65.6% and non-carcinogenic risk by 36.5%, leading to much lower OPE concentrations in treated water.

How can AMPAC USA's water purification systems address OPE contamination?

AMPAC USA specializes in advanced water purification systems, including commercial and industrial reverse osmosis (RO) units, which are highly effective at removing a wide range of contaminants, including emerging pollutants like OPEs. Our engineers design robust solutions, ensuring safe drinking water for critical applications from military bases to municipalities.

Assessing The Threats Of Organophosphate Esters To Drinking

JiafuLi^a JiahuiHe^a YunaLi^b YunqingLiu^c WenjieLi^c NanWu^c LifenZhang^b YingZhang^b ZhiguangNiu\n

Abstract

Organophosphate esters, or OPEs, are a big concern. These compounds, used as flame retardants and plasticizers, are emerging pollutants, and their threat to drinking-water-at-a-drinking-water-treatment-plant-using-uv-and-chlorine-dioxide-disinfection/”>water-and-distribution-system-in-an-unchlorinated-drinking-water-system-by-sourcetracker-using-microbial-community-fingerprints/”>drinking Water from ScienceDirect’s AI-generated Topic Pages” href=”https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/drinking-water”>drinking water safety isn’t widely known. Now, the USPEA has updated the oral reference dose (RfD) and oral cancer slope factor (SFO) for OPEs. This means we can actually assess how dangerous OPEs are in our drinking water.

This study looked at OPEs in drinking water across 79 cities in China. These cities represent 28.8% of China’s population and 44.1% of its GDP. We found that the total concentration of 14 common OPEs in drinking water ranged from 13.42 to 265.48 nanograms per liter. While drinking water exposure was much lower than eating contaminated food, it was about the same as breathing in dust or skin contact.

Our health assessment showed a potential cancer risk from OPEs in drinking water, with levels exceeding 1.00E-6. However, we didn’t see any obvious non-cancer effects, with levels below 1. Tris-(2,3-dibromopropyl) phosphate (TDBPP) was a major player, causing about 72.4% of the cancer risk. This means we should really keep an eye on TDBPP in future studies.

Interestingly, the presence and spread of OPEs in China’s drinking water lined up well with the Aihui-Tengchong Line. We also found that drinking water treatment technology (DWTT) plays a key role. Cities with advanced DWTT had much lower levels of total OPEs, halogeno-OPEs, and alkyl-OPEs in their drinking water compared to cities with conventional DWTT. Advanced treatment reduced cancer risk from OPEs by about 65.6% and non-cancer risk by 36.5%. With OPE consumption growing every year in China and globally, we need more studies to truly understand the environmental threat these compounds pose. What are we waiting for?

\n\n

\nhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0043135419300892?via%3Dihub\n\nThe post Assessing the threats of organophosphate esters (flame retardants and plasticizers) to drinking water safety based on USEPA oral reference dose (RfD) and oral cancer slope factor (SFO) appeared first on Facts About Water.\n\nSource: Water Feed