A total of 1.7 million Virginians rely on private drinking water (PDW) systems and 1.3 million of those people do not know their water quality. Because most Virginians who use PDW do not know the quality of that water and since strontium poses a public health risk, this study investigates sources of strontium in PDW in Virginia and identifies the areas and populations most vulnerable. Physical factors such as rock type, rock age, and fertilizer use have been linked to elevated strontium concentrations in drinking water. Social factors such as poverty, poor diet, and adolescence also increase social vulnerability to health impacts of strontium. Using water quality data from the Virginia Household Water Quality Program (VAHWQP) and statistical and spatial analyses, physical vulnerability was found to be highest in the Ridge and Valley province of Virginia where agricultural land use and geologic formations with high strontium concentrations (e.g., limestone, dolomite, sandstone, shale) are the dominant aquifer rocks. In terms of social vulnerability, households with high levels of strontium are more likely than the average VAHWQP participant to live in a food desert. This study provides information to help 1.7 million residents of Virginia, as well as populations in neighboring states, understand their risk of exposure to strontium in PDW.

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评估弗吉尼亚州私人饮用水系统中锶和锶的脆弱性

共有 170 万弗吉尼亚人依赖私人饮用水 (PDW) 系统，其中 130 万人不知道他们的水质。由于大多数使用 PDW 的弗吉尼亚人不知道该水的质量，而且锶会构成公共健康风险，因此本研究调查了弗吉尼亚州 PDW 中锶的来源，并确定了最脆弱的地区和人群。岩石类型、岩石年龄和肥料使用等物理因素与饮用水中锶浓度升高有关。贫困、不良饮食和青春期等社会因素也会增加社会对锶健康影响的脆弱性。使用来自弗吉尼亚家庭水质计划 (VAHWQP) 的水质数据以及统计和空间分析，弗吉尼亚州的 Ridge and Valley 省的物理脆弱性最高，那里的农业用地和具有高锶浓度的地质构造（例如，石灰岩、白云岩、砂岩、页岩）是主要的含水层岩石。在社会脆弱性方面，锶含量高的家庭比普通 VAHWQP 参与者更有可能生活在食物沙漠中。这项研究提供的信息可帮助弗吉尼亚州的 170 万居民以及邻近州的居民了解他们在 PDW 中接触锶的风险。锶含量高的家庭比普通 VAHWQP 参与者更有可能生活在食物沙漠中。这项研究提供的信息可帮助弗吉尼亚州的 170 万居民以及邻近州的居民了解他们在 PDW 中接触锶的风险。锶含量高的家庭比普通 VAHWQP 参与者更有可能生活在食物沙漠中。这项研究提供的信息可帮助弗吉尼亚州的 170 万居民以及邻近州的居民了解他们在 PDW 中接触锶的风险。