Archives
International Journal of Zoology and Applied Biosciences Research Article
Potential health hazards of antiscalant residues in treated drinking water
Duraimurugan S, Dhanalakshmi P, Kiran Kumar S, Senthilkumar G P and Jenifer E
Year : 2025 | Pages: 257-262
Received on: 18/09/2025
Revised on: 22/10/2025
Accepted on: 28/10/2025
Published on: 25/11/2025
-
Duraimurugan S, Dhanalakshmi P, Kiran Kumar S, Senthilkumar G P and Jenifer E( 2025).
Potential health hazards of antiscalant residues in treated drinking water
. International Journal of Zoology and Applied Biosciences, 10( 6), 257-262.
-
click to view the cite format
Abstract
Antiscalants are widely employed in reverse osmosis (RO) and other membrane-based water purification systems to prevent scale deposition and enhance operational efficiency. Despite their functional significance, concerns have emerged regarding the persistence of antiscalant residues in treated drinking water and their potential implications for human health. This study examines the chemical nature, pathways of exposure, and toxicological effects associated with commonly used antiscalants such as polyphosphates, organophosphonates, and polymaleic acids. Current evidence suggests that excessive or uncontrolled use of antiscalants may contribute to sub-lethal toxicity, endocrine disruption, gastrointestinal disturbances, and long-term bioaccumulation risks. Poor system maintenance and inadequate flushing further increase the likelihood of consumer exposure. The paper highlights regulatory gaps, analytical detection challenges, and the need for safer alternatives with improved biodegradability. Findings from this review underscore the urgency of establishing stringent monitoring strategies and optimizing antiscalant dosing to safeguard consumer health and water quality standards.
Keywords
Antiscalants, Reverse Osmosis, Drinking Water Quality, Chemical Residues, Health Hazards.
-
Full Article PDF (
24)
- View HTML Article
Copy Rights
© The Author(s) 2025. This article is published by International Journal of Zoology and Applied Biosciences under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (creativecommons.org), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
