Genotoxicity and Health Risk of Seawater Desalination Based on Reverse Osmosis: A Case Study of Two Seawater Desalination Plants in Zhoushan, China

Typically, the shortage of freshwater will limit social and economic development island regions. As a non-conventional, high-quality water source, desalinated seawater can be incorporated into urban supply system. The genotoxicity disinfection by-products in drinking was always viewed as concern for human health. However, only few studies were conducted based on this issue seawater. In study, comet assay to investigate caused by organic extracts specific produced two full-scale purification plants from Zhoushan Islands eastern China. samples collected four different locations along treatment train plants. quality conformed national standards China, except higher boron content. results showed that all able induce levels DNA damage HL-60 cells (K finished = 6.635 7.698, respectively). Compared with fresh source water, desalination plant determined lowest. correlations between consumption important chronic diseases, namely hypertension coronary heart disease, could not supported current data epidemiological investigation. These demonstrate was, fact, much lower than conventional water.