Report No DWI0083

Dec 1987

This report covers the sixth conference on "Water Chlorination: Environmental Impact and Health Effects", held at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, May 3-8 1987. Papers were presented concerning various aspects of chlorination of drinking water, including chemistry, general toxicology, as well as epidemiological and mutagenicity studies. The conference was particularly relevant to DoE projects EHT 9105 SLD, "The identification of mutagens in potable water" and EHT 9271 SLD, "Mutagenic activity of concentrated water extracts in vivo". Reports by researchers at the US-Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), at Abo University in Finland and by us, concerning the identification of the highly potent mutagen, 3-chloro-4(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone (MX), in drinking water and in chlorinated model compounds, were regarded as the highlight of the conference, as these findings represented a major advance in the identification of mutagens in drinking water.

Information obtained from presentations and in private discussions with attendees, is summarised.

A report of a brief visit to the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill is also included.

Copies of this report may be available as an Acrobat pdf download under the 'Find Completed Research' heading on the DWI website.