[Actual standards for drinking water quality]. / Aktualne normatywy jakosci wody do picia.

Actual recommendations concerning drinking water quality are presented in WHO "Guidelines for drinking water quality" published in 1992. Regulations which are obligatory in the European Union countries are published in Directive 80/778/EEC. In 1995 a proposal of a new Directive was elaborated. In Poland the regulations given in the disposition of MZiOS (Ministry of Health and Social Welfare)-Dz. U. nr 18 poz. 72 of 1977 with later changes-Dz.U. nr 35 poz. 205 of 1990 are obligatory. At present this disposition is under revision: Comparison of above mentioned regulations of EU and WHO with Polish regulations enables the following conclusions: The highest permissible concentrations of individual constituents dissolved in water listed in the Directive 80/778/EEC are in agreement with those given in the disposition of MZiOS of 1990. Parametric values in the draft project of the new Directive are in good accordance with those presented in the draft project of the disposition of MZiOS, except of the permissible concentrations of nitrites, cyanides, iron, acryloamide and vinyl chloride, which are in accordance with health criteria recommended by WHO. Only permissible lead concentration is in Poland twice greater than proposed by the WHO guidelines for drinking water. In Polish regulation the highest permissible concentrations are defined for greater number of substances including pesticides. In the author's opinion harmonization of the Polish regulations with the project of the new EU Directive should be performed after the EU project comes into force.

[The effect of water pipelines on the quality of drinking water]. / Wplyw przewodów wodociagowych na jakosc wody do picia.

The purpose of the study was to assess the effects of various pipelines on drinking water quality. For the study carried out in Warsaw buildings were chosen in which the installations were made of polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, copper and steel. Water samples were taken from the sites of water leading to the buildings and from the highest floors, if possible. Physicochemical studies included determination of turbidity, colour, odour, pH, hardness, chlorides, ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, oxidation, manganese, iron, lead, cadmium, copper and zinc content. Bacteriological tests included determination of total microorganism count at 20 degrees C and 37 degrees C, total number of sporing bacteria and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The hydro-biological testing of water samples included quantitative and qualitative analysis of macroscopic and microscopic plant and animal organisms. All studies were carried out according to Polish Standards and the methods of the State Institute of Hygiene. The results of the physicochemical, bacteriological and hydro-biological tests failed to show any effect of the material of pipelines on the quality of drinking water in the range of the determined parameters.

[Occurrence of aquatic organisms in water pipes and the resulting problems with drinking water disinfection]. / Wystepowanie organizmów wodnych w wodociagach i wynikajace stad problemy dezynfekcji wody do picia. Czesc I.

The present text is the first part of a paper aimed at specification of the requirements ensuring effective disinfection of drinking water. The discussed health hazards result not only from the presence of pathogenic microorganisms in water, but also from the occurrence of micro- and macroscopic plant and animal organisms. It was shown that while the traditional method for water treatment and disinfection reduces the number of these organisms, it fails to eliminate them completely, particularly in the case of tap water intake from shore intakes of surface waters.