>as our institute also is involved in residue analysis, i can
(after some talk with our chemists and toxicologists, i
myslef am no expert in pesticide analytics) positively confirm, that
most of the levels allowed in drinking
water evidently are not BASED on toxicological evaluation, but on
the "state of the art" of analytical methods and equipment, meaning
what is the lowest measureable concentration (also considering the
price and the availablity of such equipment). i would call that
minimisation of risk
reminds me of the great uproar in Sydney [Australia] last year, with
discovery of 'high' levels of cryptosporidium and giardia in Sydney water
and directions to the whole population - 3 million or so - to boil drinking
water. Information at:
http://headlines.yahoo.com/Full_Coverage/AUNZ/Polluted_Water_in_Sydney
While there are industrial-origin substances entering waterways around the
world which may have very serious consequences at minute concentration, the
situation we had here was one, to crudely summarise, in which new tests with
new equipment detected levels of water borne organisms, probably present in
the past, perhaps present in other cities (Sydney now having the most
sophisticated testing gear in the country), endemic [giardia] in native
fauna which have free run of catchments. The directive that no one was to
cook in, clean teeth in, wash food in, etc the water supply was ignored by
quite a lot of people, but not of course by people facing public liability.
There was no change in the incidence of related disease reported during the
scare.
So the state of the art of analysis apparently advanced beyond real
scientific or administrative understanding of the risk, which fell into the
hands of lawyers, politicians and the media. You can probably safely go to
the 2000 Olympics, but I would advise you not to share your bath with an
incontinent kangaroo.
Dennis
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