Aquatic taste and odor: a primary signal of drinking-water integrity.
Aquatic taste and odor (T/O) is rarely produced by toxic contaminants or pathogens; nevertheless, it has major negative impacts on the public and the drinking-water industry. Consumers use T/O as a primary measure of drinking water safety, yet this criterion is poorly understood, and its origins and triggers often go untraced. Much surface-water T/O is produced by the increased production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by algae. These chemicals can be symptomatic of short-term problems with source, treatment, or distribution systems. At a broader level, they can signify fundamental changes in aquatic ecosystems induced by human activity. T/O varies in chemistry, intensity, and production patterns among different algal taxa, and is often linked with excessive algal growth and/or the invasion of noxious species. Some VOCs may signal the presence of potentially toxic algae and/or other associated water quality issues. Traditionally, T/O has been linked with the widespread eutrophication of many surface waters; however, there has been a recent growth in the number of T/O events reported in oligo-mesotrophic systems, for example, the Glenmore Reservoir (Calgary AB) and the Laurentian Great Lakes. From a management and public perspective, therefore, it is vitally important to monitor T/O, and to continue to work toward a better understanding of the proximal and the ultimate causes-which VOCs and algae species are involved. In the short term, odor events could be anticipated and water treatment optimized. In the long term, this approach would contribute toward more a robust management of this resource through remedial or preventative measures.
Watson
Susan
S
National Water Research Institute, Environment Canada, Ecology Division, Department of Biosciences, University of Calgary, Burlington, Ontario, Canada. swatson@ucalgary.ca
D002170:Canada; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000378:metabolism; D005618:Fresh Water; D006801:Humans; D009812:Odorants; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000378:metabolism; D012621:Seasons; D013649:Taste; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014881:Water Supply
D009930:Organic Chemicals; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical