Abstract:
Objective To investigate the status of water quality detection ability of centers for disease control and prevention (CDCs) at all levels in Hunan Province, China, 2023, and to provide a reference for laboratory ability construction.
Methods Questionnaires were used to investigate the water quality detection ability of CDCs at all levels in Hunan Province in 2023. A total of 131 questionnaires were collected, including 1 at the province level, 14 at the city level (including 1 in the provincial capital city), 86 at the county level (including county-level cities), and 30 at the district level.
Results In 2023, the provincial CDC had the ability of testing 95 indicators defined in the Standards for Drinking Water Quality (GB 5749-2022). The M (P25, P75) values of detection capabilities for 97 indicators of CDCs at city, county, and district levels were 91 (86, 94), 44 (39, 51), and 39 (35, 44), respectively. The M (P25, P75) values of detection capabilities for 43 conventional indicators were 41 (41, 43), 38 (34, 40), and 33 (31, 38), respectively. There were significant differences in the detection capabilities of CDCs at different levels for both all and conventional indicators (χ2=46.84 and 37.14, P < 0.001). The pairwise comparative analysis revealed a gradual and significant decline in the detection capabilities of CDCs at the city, county, and district levels for both all and conventional indicators (adjusted P < 0.05). The provincial CDC was unable to detect total alpha and total beta radioactivity, which were detected by Hunan Prevention and Treatment Institute for Occupational Diseases. For the CDCs at the city level, the detection abilities were the lowest for giardia, cryptosporidium, 2-methylisoborneol, and geosmin, and 11 CDCs at the city level were unable to detect these indicators. This was followed by total alpha and total beta radioactivity, and 8 CDCs at the city level were unable to detect these indicators. For CDCs at the county/district levels, the detection abilities were the lowest for total alpha and total beta radioactivity, and 87.07% of CDCs at the county/district levels were unable to detect these indicators. This was followed by trichloroacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, ozone, trihalomethane, bromodichloromethane, tribromomethane, chlorodibromomethane, bromate, and total chlorine, and more than 40% of CDCs at the county/district levels were unable to detect these indicators.
Conclusion The water quality detection ability of CDCs in Hunan Province has been significantly improved in 2023 as compared to 2012. However, there is still a large gap between the current detection ability and the national requirements for ability construction. The ability of detecting disinfection by-products newly added to the conventional indicators should be strengthened in CDCs at the county/district levels in the future.