Consumption of unsafe drinking water is associated with a substantial burden of disease globally. In the USA, the burden of disease associated with consumption of contaminated drinking water from non-regulated private wells and springs in rural areas is relatively understudied and unclear. For some lower-income households in rural areas of the USA without access to reliably safe drinking water, point-of-use treatment with relatively low-cost pitcher filters could help to reduce exposures to contaminated water and associated adverse health outcomes. This pilot randomized controlled intervention trial will provide information and data on water quality and contamination exposures, associated health outcomes, and the adoption potential of point-of-use water filters in rural areas of Virginia and Tennessee.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
76
Point-of-use drinking water filter
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, Tennessee, United States
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia, United States
E. coli detection in drinking water
Proportion of households with E. coli (indicator of fecal contamination) detected in drinking water samples
Time frame: 12 months
Heavy metals or other contaminants exceeding EPA MCL
Proportion of households with contaminants detected in drinking water at concentrations exceeding the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL)
Time frame: 12 months
Gastrointestinal illness
Incidence of acute gastrointestinal illness via self-reported diarrhea (7-day recall)
Time frame: 12 months
Pathogen infection
Detection of enteric pathogen infection via qPCR analysis of stool samples and salivary antibody assays
Time frame: 12 months
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