AOX measurements in Kiev and other Ukrainian cities

Influence of chlorination on the drinking water quality in Ukraine

(Russian title: ÂËÈßÍÈÅ ÏÐÎÖÅÑÑÀ ÕËÎÐÈÐÎÂÀÍÈß ÍÀ ÊÀ×ÅÑÒÂÎ ÏÈÒÜÅÂÎÉ ÂÎÄÛ Â ÓÊÐÀÈÍÅ)

This page shows the results of raw water and tap water controls in larger Ukrainian cities with focus on chlororganic compounds. In northern Ukraine (e.g. Kiev), all other dangerous compounds, as heavy metals and pesticides, occur less frequently in dangerous concentrations. Nitrate concentrations, exceeding the limits for drinking water (45 mg/L), were never detected in tap water originating from river water.

85 % of drinking water in Ukraine is taken from surface waters. After the usual disinfection of raw and drinking water (before and after treatment!), hundreds of different chlororganic compounds can be found.. It is not possible to analyse all of them, but their sum can be determined as AOX (adsorbable organic halogens).
The principle of the analytical determination of chlororganic compounds is explained (in ENGLISH and RUSSIAN). (For other methods which have been used for analytical water controls see short overview).

Table 1 below gives a short overview of analytical results of irregular AOX control measurements of tap water. The data can only give first hints on the importance of the problem.

Tab. 1: results of AOX investigation program in Ukraine (guide value for AOX in the EU: 5 ug/L)

when	where	number of samples	AOX (mean) ug/L

Dec. 1993	Kiev	28	329
July 1996	Zaphoroshije	5	327
June 1997	Odessa	2	266
June 1997	Slavutitch (from groundwater)	2	44
July 1997	Kiev	11	311
Aug. 1997	Sewastopol	1	521
Sep. 1997	Lvov	3	170
Oct. 1997	Kirovograd	1	431
Nov. 1997	Kiev	2	157
Nov. 1997	Charkov	1	268
Dec. 1997	Lugansk	1	362
(winter) 1997/98	Kiev	10	140
(summer) 1998	Kiev	20	260
Feb. 1999	Kiev	7	80
May 1999	Kiev	2	159 / 202
June 1999	centre of Kiev	5	100 - 140
Sept. 1999	Kiev	7	32-132
May 2000	Kiev, water from Dnepr-water work	1	115
June 2000	Kiev, w. from. Desna- ww.	1	300
July 2000	Kiev, water from Dnepr-ww	2	a) 113, b) 137
Dec. 2000	Kiev, water from Dnepr-ww	3	a) 260; b) 330; c)440
Mar. 98 - May 2000	raw water from river Desna	7	min-max: 15 - 167
Nov.97-Dec. 2000	Dnepr (Kiev + K. reservoir)	11	min-max: 22 - 160

In spite of efforts to reduce the concentrations of chlororganics in recent times (since 1999), the latest results of drinking water controls in Kiev still showed unacceptable AOX concentrations. Therefore it can not be advised to use this drinking water for consumption. Among the compounds that are regularly identified in tap water are chloroform, chlorinated acetic acid. Higher concentrations of chloroform appear mainly during summer time and is therefore controlled more often.
It is necessary and urgently recommended to publish more analytical results on a regular basis in various media. The main reasons are:

1. the concentration of chlororganics is dependent from raw water quality. This quality changes often because phytoplankton content and concentration of humic matter are changing.
2. technological reasons: if several raw water sources are used in various quantities or if the treatment method was changed, AOX can be much higher or lower as a few days before. Unfortunately this happens, but mostly is not made known to the public.

The figure below shows the effect of boiling. In former studies, similar results have been obtained: intensive boiling of tap water (if more than 5 minutes !!!) reduced the concentration of chlororganic compounds for about 32 %.

effect of boiling on drinking water

Fig. 1: AOX concentration in ug/L, case I, II, III before and after boiling of tap water water

About their effect on human health see also: hints, news and articles from other sources; in English or in Russian/ïî ðóññêèé, and the results of our work in Ukraine (academic publications, expertise's & articles) available by email in several languages. For further information we recommend to visit the links and the publication mentioned below.

The effect of tap water on sensitive small test organisms, Ceriodaphnia sp., has been studied in the laboratory. These animals usually die in tap water even after several days of storage and aeration. The results have been published recently in HOFFMANN, M., and RAKOV, V.I. (2003) (see below). An English version is available here now, and a Russian and Ukrainian summary as well.

Summarising one can say that the contamination of tap water with chlororganic substances must still be considered as one of the most important health risk for the Ukrainian population.

Literature:

1. Office of Drinking Water, Office of Water, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (19990): Risk Assessment, Management and Communication of Drinking Water Contamination. - Seminar Publication EPA/625-4-89/024

2. http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/mdbp/chapter3.html (CLOSED)

3. http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ottaway/dw_home1.htm (CLOSED)

4. HOFFMANN, M., and RAKOV, V.I. (2003): An Investigation of the sensitivity of Ceriodaphnia affinis to City of Kyiv tap water. - Journal of Hydrobiology T. 39, No.4, Kiev ( in Russian).

An English version is published by Begell House, Inc. USA