Uncertainties in risk assessment for the determination of drinking water pollutant concentrations: Cryptosporidium case study

There is a growing acknowledgement of the need to recognise uncertainties in the estimation of waterborne risks. In this paper, the strength of the science available to characterise Cryptosporidium risks in drinking water is investigated, in particular the determination of oocyst concentrations at various points in the chain of water supply. A recently developed scientific quality audit framework is used as a tool to guide this investigation. The framework systematically reveals the relatively greater strength of the science for the “upstream” elements (estimation of concentrations in environmental reservoirs) than for the “downstream” elements (concentrations in distribution). It is the downstream elements that have greater bearing on human health and public policy issues. It is noted that the adoption of new monitoring Regulations is likely to prompt action to strengthen knowledge of these downstream elements in the future.