Importance of Exposure Model in Estimating Impacts When a Water Distribution System Is Contaminated
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 134, Issue 5
Abstract
The quantity of a contaminant ingested by individuals using tap water drawn from a water distribution system during a contamination event depends on the concentration of the contaminant in the water and the volume of water ingested. If the concentration varies with time, the actual time of exposure affects the quantity ingested. The influence of the timing of exposure and of individual variability in the volume of water ingested on estimated impacts for a contamination event has received limited attention. We examine the significance of ingestion timing and variability in the volume of water ingested by using a number of models for ingestion timing and volume. Contaminant concentrations were obtained from simulations of an actual distribution system for cases involving contaminant injections lasting from 1 to . We find that assumptions about exposure can significantly influence estimated impacts, especially when injection durations are short and impact thresholds are high. The influence of ingestion timing and volume should be considered when assessing impacts for contamination events.
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Acknowledgments
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the Office of Research and Development funded, managed, and participated in the research described here under an interagency agreement. The views expressed in this paper are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the USEPA. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. Work at Argonne National Laboratory was sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under interagency agreement through U.S. Department of Energy Contract DOEDE-AC02-06CH11357. All data analysis and preparation of graphics for this paper were done with (R Development Core Team 2007).
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 134 • Issue 5 • September 2008
Pages: 449 - 456
Copyright
© 2008 ASCE.
History
Received: Oct 8, 2007
Accepted: Dec 14, 2007
Published online: Sep 1, 2008
Published in print: Sep 2008
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