Transform Water Safety Testing With the Latest Analytic Tools

MYTH Boiling water removes all contaminants. MYTH If water looks clean, it’s safe. MYTH Bottled water is always safer than tap water. FACT Boiling kills bacteria but concentrates lead, arsenic and other heavy metals. FACT Most dangerous contaminants are completely invisible and odourless. FACT 90% of bottled water contains microplastics and faces less regulation than municipal water.3 For more information on PerkinElmer’s drinking water analysis solutions, click here. Want to speak to one of PerkinElmer’s water testing experts? Click here. References 1. Olson E, Pullen Fedinick K. What’s in Your Water? Flint and Beyond. Natural Resources Defense Council. Published 2016. https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/ whats-in-your-water-flint-beyond-report.pdf 2. Sellers K, Weeks K, Alsop WR, et al. Perchlorate. CRC Press; 2006. doi: 10.1201/9781482275124 3. Mason SA, Welch VG, Neratko J. Synthetic Polymer Contamination in Bottled Water. Frontiers in Chemistry. 2018;6:407. doi: 10.3389/fchem.2018.00407 These water analysis tools provide everything water quality professionals need to protect human health. A Deep Dive Into Drinking Water Contaminants Contaminants in drinking water can pose serious risks to public health, exposing communities to potentially harmful substances. To address this critical issue, analytical laboratories play a vital role by identifying and quantifying these contaminants, helping to safeguard water supplies and ensure compliance with regulatory standards. This infographic explores the complex nature of drinking water contaminants in all their different forms and the analytical approaches needed to ensure water safety. Inorganic contaminants Public understanding of water safety often relies on outdated or incorrect information. Correcting these misconceptions is essential for informed decision-making and appropriate risk management. How Safe is Your Water? Water quality standards vary significantly worldwide, creating a complex regulatory environment for testing laboratories. Understanding these regional differences is crucial for compliance and public safety. Global Regulatory Landscape BENZENE CYANIDE EU regulations represent some of the world’s most stringent standards, particularly for benzene, nitrite, mercury and pesticides. WHO guidelines often serve as the global benchmark, balancing health protection with practical implementation challenges. Cadmium is a heavy metal that accumulates in the kidneys and can cause severe organ damage even at low exposure levels, with stricter EU limits reflecting emerging research on long-term health impacts at concentrations previously considered acceptable. Benzene is a volatile organic compound and known carcinogen. It is commonly found near petroleum processing facilities and in groundwater contaminated by fuel spills. Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) is a common dry-cleaning solvent and groundwater contaminant. Regional differences in PCE limits reflect varying risk assessment methodologies, with some authorities prioritizing cancer endpoints while others focus on neurological effects, resulting in threshold variations of up to 5 times between major regulatory bodies. Developing Asian economies generally maintain higher allowable limits for several contaminants while gradually tightening standards as treatment capabilities improve and public health priorities change over time. The EPA establishes comprehensive standards that generally align with WHO guidelines while implementing stricter limits for several organic compounds. Cd C2Cl4 C6H6 CnCyanide Benzene Benzene Cyanide Cyanide Benzene Benzene Cyanide Benzene Cyanide Cyanide Benzene Benzene Cyanide Specific limits are always subject to change as new scientific evidence emerges about health impacts, and each health authority determines limits based on current scientific understanding and the analytical methods that are available. India China Australian regulations largely align with WHO guidelines while implementing stricter controls on fluoride and several volatile organic compounds. Health Canada maintains stringent standards that frequently exceed both EPA and WHO requirements, particularly for neurotoxins and carcinogens. As our understanding of water contaminants evolves, laboratories face new analytical challenges that require innovative approaches and technologies. Emerging Analytical Challenges Spectroscopic identification is needed to confirm polymer composition and potential additives Emerging standardized methods are still under development for regulatory purposes “Forever chemicals” that persist in the environment and require ultra-trace detection Complex sample preparation is required to prevent background contamination Specialized LC/MS/MS techniques can detect concentrations in the partsper-trillion range Formed when disinfectants react with naturally occurring organic matter Require balanced analytical approaches to monitor both microbial safety and chemical risks Require advanced analytical techniques due to their diverse structures, low concentrations and the complexity of their formation Microplastics Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) Disinfection byproducts Ensuring drinking water resources meet regulatory requirements and are safe for human consumption requires testing for a wide range of possible contaminants. Using the latest analytical methods, scientists can easily identify harmful contaminants in water, even at ultra-low concentrations. The Future of Water Analysis Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) The PerkinElmer QSight® Triple Quad LC/MS/MS The PerkinElmer NexION® 1100 ICP-MS The PerkinElmer Spotlight™ Aurora FTIR Microscope Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy Investigate emerging contaminants, such as PFAS, at low concentrations using LC/ MS/MS. Identify trace elements using ICP-MS. Detect the presence of microplastics using FTIR spectroscopy. Precision Sensitivity Reliability Efficiency Organic contaminants Drinking water can contain both inorganic and organic contaminants, each presenting unique analytical challenges and health risks. Understanding these diverse compounds is the first step toward effective monitoring and mitigation. Understanding Water Contaminants Inorganic contaminants are naturally occurring elements and minerals that pose health risks at certain concentrations. They are often regulated at partsper-billion levels, demanding highly sensitive instrumentation. Many of these inorganic contaminants can cause severe health problems, including: Organic contaminants are complex carbon-based compounds derived from industrial, agricultural and pharmaceutical sources. They may transform into secondary compounds during water treatment processes. Organic contaminants have wide spread uses, increasing the likelihood of contamination. Examples include: Pb As Hg F LEAD Brain development issues, cardiovascular problems PESTICIDES Hormone disruption, neurological effects ARSENIC Cancer, skin lesions, diabetes PHARMACEUTICALS Antimicrobial resistance, endocrine disruption INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS Various toxic effects including cancer MICROPLASTICS Unknown long-term effects, potential hormone disruption FOREVER CHEMICALS Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) accumulate in the environment and living organisms causing longterm health damage MERCURY Nervous system damage, kidney damage FLUORIDE Dental/skeletal fluorosis at high levels An estimated 18 million Americans drink water with lead levels exceeding Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) limits1 Perchlorate (rocket fuel chemical) has been found in drinking water across 26 US states2 World Health Organization (WHO) Canada Cadmium Benzene Cyanide Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) India and China European Union (EU) Australia Did You Know Did You Know Cyanide is an acutely toxic inorganic compound. Despite well-documented lethal effects, regulatory limits for cyanide vary, often with stricter limits in regions that have experienced industrial contamination incidents or have vulnerable water treatment infrastructures. The WHO estimates 2 billion people worldwide drink water contaminated with feces. Did You Know These knowledge gaps highlight the crucial role of analytical testing in providing objective, science-based assessments of water quality that go beyond sensory perception. Particles ranging from 5 mm to nanometers in size require specialized separation techniques