Risk governance of potential emerging risks to drinking water quality: Analysing current practices

The presence of emerging contaminants in the aquatic environment may affect human health via exposure to drinking water. And, even if some of these emerging contaminants are not a threat to human health, their presence might still influence the public perception of drinking water quality. Over the last decades, much research has been done on...

The Demographics of Water: A Review of Water Ages in the Critical Zone

The time that water takes to travel through the terrestrial hydrological cycle and the critical zone is of great interest in Earth system sciences with broad implications for water quality and quantity. Most water age studies to date have focused on individual compartments (or subdisciplines) of the hydrological cycle such as the unsaturated...

Use of literature mining for early identification of emerging contaminants in freshwater resources

Chemical and microbial contaminants in the aquatic environment pose a potential threat to humans and to ecosystems. Humans may be exposed to contaminants in water resources when used for drinking water production, agriculture, aquaculture or recreation. Climatological, social and demographic changes, as well as the increasing sensitivity of...

Model development for evidence-based prioritisation of policy action on emerging chemical and microbial drinking water risks

While the burden of disease from well-studied drinking water contaminants is declining, risks from emerging chemical and microbial contaminants arise because of social, technological, demographic and climatological developments. At present, emerging chemical and microbial drinking water contaminants are not assessed in a systematic way, but...

How to Address Consumers’ Concerns and Information Needs about Emerging Chemical and Microbial Contaminants in Drinking Water: The Case of GenX in The Netherlands

The perceived safety of tap water is an important condition for consumers to drink it. Therefore, addressing consumers’ concerns should be included in the roadmap towards the UN SDG 6 on safe drinking water for all. This paper studies consumers’ information needs regarding emerging contaminants in drinking water using a mental model approach for...

Getting in control of persistent, mobile and toxic (PMT) and very persistent and very mobile (vPvM) substances to protect water resources: strategies from diverse perspectives

Background: Safe and clean drinking water is essential for human life. Persistent, mobile and toxic (PMT) substances and/or very persistent and very mobile (vPvM) substances are an important group of substances for which additional measures to protect water resources may be needed to avoid negative environmental and human health effects. PMT...

Being prepared for the drinking water contaminants of tomorrow: An interdisciplinary approach for the proactive risk governance of emerging chemical and microbial drinking water contaminants

“Access to safe drinking water is a fundamental human need and, therefore, a basic human right. Contaminated water jeopardizes both the physical and social health of all people”: such is the importance of safe drinking water, as stated by Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, on World Water Day 2001. While some countries...

Integrating Urban Pluvial Flood Mitigation Measures and Systems for Heating and Cooling in the Urban Water System: Design for A Resilient New Theatre in Gouda

Heavy precipitation results in high pressure on the urban water system. This leads to pluvial flooding and overflowing of the sewer system into the surface water. In order the mitigate the impact of these events, separate sewer systems and water storage facilities are implemented in cities. Surplus water overflowing from surface water or sewer...