WATER SECURITY RESEARCH GROUP

MODELLING ACTIVE PHARMACEUTICAL INGREDIENTS

There has been an increasing attention in research to understand the presence and impact of Active Pharmaceuticals Ingredients (APIs) entering or detected in environment and of drinking water resources. APIs can enter the environment via treated and untreated wastewater and also via urban or agricultural runoff. Some compounds that are not easily removed during conventional treatment can persist in drinking water supplies and ultimately contaminate consumer tap water. Hence, it is important to understand the dynamics of APIs within Drinking Water Distribution System (DWDS) to avoid exposure of DWDS users to concentrations higher than guideline values restricted by international guidelines to ensure a safe consumption of drinking water.


In the event of contamination of a DWDS, decisions must be made to mitigate the impact of the contamination and to protect public health. When a contaminant enters the DWDS, depending upon the point of entry, the type and quantity of contaminant, and the operation and design of the water system, it may affect the hydraulics, spread the contaminant plume into the distribution network; travel short distances or may reach large portions of the distribution system. Therefore, this study proposes the use of geospatial-hydraulic and water quality models to understand APIs dynamics in DWDS.


In this study, factors influencing DWDS vulnerability to APIs contaminant will be evaluated and all areas of DWDS vulnerable to APIs will be identified using combination of present data, expert knowledge and geospatial technologies. Hydraulic and water quality models will be used to simulate movement and transformation of APIs in the DWDS.


Vulnerability map of DWDS to APIs contaminant will be produced and is expected to provide a preliminary indication of the areas of high priority for the introduction of protective measures and thus aid in directing the monitoring efforts for water quality sampling and monitoring.


CURRENT SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

Development of network model of drinking water distribution of the study area is almost completed. Several scenarios of possible contamination of the APIs are planned to be performed to identify the pollution movement in Malaysian drinking water system. By modelling the water quality in distribution system networks, this study is expected to contribute to the characterization of factors/parameters influencing APIs contaminant dynamic in water distribution systems as well as predicting the spatial and temporal distribution of APIs. It is also expected that this study will identify exposed population and exposed areas to API compounds.