Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
12.5.3 Micropollutants in Germany
The German Federal Environment Agency has also developed recommendations for
those micro- pollutants, which are more or less equivalent to
“
thresholds of toxico-
”
logical concern
although the micropollutants are not regulated so far in Germany.
Instead, depending on the amount of toxicological information available for speci
c
substances, Germany has set what are called
Health-Related Indicator Values
(HRIV)
”
, which range from 0.01 to 3.0 mg/L. A Health-Related Indicator Value of
0.1 mg/L has been set as a precautionary value, which should allow lifelong
consumption of the drinking water for 70 years (Umweltbundesamt, German Federal
Environment Agency
2003
, as cited in Mons et al.
2013
). The value of 0.1 mg/L
applies to both nongenotoxic compounds and the majority of genotoxic compounds,
while highly genotoxic compounds cannot be used for lifetime exposure, but are safe
for short periods only (Umweltbundesamt, German Federal Environment Agency
2003
, as cited in Mons et al.
2013
) . Table
12.3
shows maximum values for lifelong
exposure to unregulated contaminants in drinking water in Germany, in which the
Health-Related Indicator Values can be up to, or even over 3 mg/L, depending on the
quality of the available information.
As a matter of fact, the higher Health-Related Indicator Values can be applied for
chemicals if toxicological data shows suf
“
cient safety (Mons et al.
2013
). It should
be noted that the Health-Related Indicator Values
“
only consider the prevention of
adverse health effects,
”
and
“
not the principle that anthropogenic contaminants do
not belong in drinking water.
The shortcoming of the German approach is that the
sum of values of chemical compounds from mixtures of contaminants in drinking
water has not been used. In other words, something comparable to the Dutch
concern for
”
“
concentration action
”
of mixtures of compounds should be adopted in
Table 12.3 Maximum values for lifelong exposure to unregulated contaminants in drinking water
in Germany (Umweltbundesamt, German Federal Environment Agency 2003, as cited in Mons
et al.
2013
)
HRIV
(mg/L)
Explanation
0.1
No toxicological data available
0.3
Only genotoxicity data available, indicating the substance to be nongenotoxic
No other toxicological data available
1
Substance proven nongenotoxic (see above). Data on neurotoxicity and germ
cell damaging potential available, indicating a value <0.3 mg/L
3
Substance neither genotoxic nor germ cell damaging nor neurotoxic
In vivo data on subchronic oral toxicity available, indicating a value
lower <1 mg/L
>3
At least one chronic oral study is available enabling (almost) complete
toxicological information and not indicating a value <3 mg/L
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