Evaluation of Chronic Toxicity of Water Using Human Normal Cells

Abstract

In drinking water, weak but toxic continuous exposure must be assumed throughout life. Human normal fibroblast cell, TIG-1–40, was applied to bioassay to evaluate the chronic toxicity of drinking water to humans in this study. TIG-1–40 was cultured with the culture media prepared with the treated water by membrane bioreactor (MBR) and model contaminated water (0.01 mg/L arsenic (As)) which is As standard for drinking water in WHO (World Health Organization). Linear approximate curve was drawn on the cell growth graph and the relative growth rate calculated from its gradient was able to evaluate cytotoxicity reproducibly. The MBR-treated water showed that the relative growth rate was 1.17 times of control (ultrapure water) and cytotoxicity was not detected. On the other hand, 0.01 mg/L As solution as WHO standard showed that the relative growth rate was 0.82 times. Therefore, it was suggested that there is no influence on human body when the relative growth rate is around 0.8 times.