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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Factors influencing the quality of drinking water in Voronezh
Burdenko Voronezh State Medical University, Voronezh, Russia
Correspondence should be addressed: Vladimir I. Kamenev
Studencheskaya, 10, Voronezh, 394036, Russia; ur.xednay@1691venemakiv
Author contribution: Kamenev VI — collection and analysis of material, statistical data processing, article authoring; Stepkin YuI — study concept and design, article editing; Melikhova EP — article writing, formatting, and editing.
Making the supplied drinking water safe is one of the keys to keeping the population in good health. The Voronezh city water supply system is a complex that includes various facilities, from an underground water intake to distribution networks. The characteristics of the territory require relying on groundwater, the reserves of which are limited. Moreover, the same source is used by plants and factories for technological needs, although there is a special purpose-built pool in the city center. That pool also affects the structural composition of groundwater. This study aimed to assess the hygienic quality of water intended for future use, taking into account the characteristics of the underground aquifer. We retrospectively examined the epidemiological characteristics of drinking water based on standardized laboratory test results. The findings indicated compliance with hygienic standards, except for elevated concentrations of iron, manganese, nitrates, and total hardness. The growth of concentrations of these elements as well as the hardness have first been registered in 1972, which gives reason to associate this fact with artificial adjustment of the flow of the Voronezh River. The tests have shown that considering the condition of water, the specifics of its use, the anthropogenic interference with the natural status thereof should not be discounted. The changes influence each other in a complex way, with the hygienic requirements for the quality of drinking water taken into account.
Keywords: public health, drinking water, features of groundwater formation, hygienic requirements for drinking water quality, drinking water supply optimization