Columbia University, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY, 10964, USA.
Environmental and Occupational Health Surveillance Program, New Jersey Department of Health, PO Box 369, Trenton, NJ, 08625, USA.
Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2018 Jul;221(6):929-940. doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2018.05.008. Epub 2018 Jun 6.
Exposure to naturally occurring arsenic in groundwater is a public health concern, particularly for households served by unregulated private wells. At present, one of the greatest barriers to exposure reduction is a lack of private well testing due to difficulties in motivating individual private well owners to take protective actions. Policy and regulations requiring testing could make a significant contribution towards universal screening of private well water and arsenic exposure reduction. New Jersey's Private Well Testing Act (PWTA) requires tests for arsenic during real estate transactions; however, the regulations do not require remedial action when maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) are exceeded. A follow-up survey sent to residents of homes where arsenic was measured above the state MCL in PWTA-required tests reveals a range of mitigation behavior among respondents (n = 486), from taking no action to reduce exposure (28%), to reporting both treatment use and appropriate maintenance and monitoring behavior (15%). Although 86% of respondents recall their well was tested during their real estate transaction, only 60% report their test showed an arsenic problem. Treatment systems are used by 63% of households, although half were installed by a previous owner. Among those treating their water (n = 308), 57% report that maintenance is being performed as recommended, although only 31% have tested the treated water within the past year. Perceived susceptibility and perceived barriers are strong predictors of mitigation action. Among those treating for arsenic, perceived severity is associated with recent monitoring, and level of commitment is associated with proper maintenance. Mention of a treatment service agreement is a strong predictor of appropriate monitoring and maintenance behavior, while treatment installed by a previous owner is less likely to be maintained. Though the PWTA requires that wells be tested, this study finds that not all current well owners are aware the test occurred or understood the implications of their arsenic results. Among those that have treatment installed to remove arsenic, poor monitoring and maintenance behaviors threaten to undermine intentions to reduce exposure. Findings suggest that additional effort, resources, and support to ensure home buyers pay attention to, understand, and act on test results at the time they are performed may help improve management of arsenic water problems over the long term and thus the PWTA's public health impact.
地下水自然砷暴露是一个公共卫生关注点，特别是对于使用不受监管的私人井供水的家庭而言。目前，减少暴露的最大障碍之一是由于难以促使私人井所有者采取保护措施，导致私人井检测不足。要求进行检测的政策和法规可以为私人井水和砷暴露的普遍筛查以及减少暴露做出重大贡献。新泽西州的《私人井检测法案》（PWTA）要求在房地产交易期间检测砷含量；然而，当最大污染物水平（MCL）超标时，该法规并不要求采取补救措施。在 PWTA 要求的检测中，对砷含量超过州 MCL 的房屋居民进行后续调查显示，受访者（n=486）采取了一系列缓解行为，从不采取任何措施减少暴露（28%），到报告使用处理方法以及适当的维护和监测行为（15%）。尽管 86%的受访者记得他们的井在房地产交易期间进行了检测，但只有 60%的人报告说他们的检测显示存在砷问题。有 63%的家庭使用处理系统，尽管有一半是由前业主安装的。在那些处理他们的水的家庭中（n=308），57%的人报告说正在按照建议进行维护，尽管只有 31%的人在过去一年中测试了处理过的水。感知易感性和感知障碍是缓解行为的强有力预测因素。在那些因砷而进行处理的人中，感知严重程度与最近的监测有关，而承诺程度与适当的维护有关。提及处理服务协议是适当监测和维护行为的有力预测因素，而前业主安装的处理系统不太可能得到维护。尽管 PWTA 要求对井进行检测，但本研究发现，并非所有当前的井所有者都意识到检测已经进行或理解他们的砷检测结果的含义。在那些安装了去除砷的处理系统的人中，不良的监测和维护行为可能会破坏降低暴露的意图。研究结果表明，在进行检测时，需要投入更多的努力、资源和支持，以确保购房者关注、理解并采取行动，从而长期改善砷水问题的管理，并因此提高 PWTA 的公共卫生影响。
