American Chemical Society's Weekly...(Aug. 23 9:45 a.m. Eastern Time CONTA...)

CONTACT:
Chi-Tang Ho, Ph.D.
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, N.J.
Phone: 732-932-9611, ext. 235
E-mail: ho@aesop.rutgers.edu

ARTICLE #5 EMBARGOED FOR: Thursday, Aug. 23, 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time

Pioneering odor tests on plastic water pipe

Fruity plastic may seem like a connoisseurs description of the bouquet of a bottle of Chardonnay or Merlot gone bad. However, that was among several uncomplimentary terms that a panel of water sensory experts used to describe the odor of drinking water from the plastic piping that is finding its way into an increasing number of homes these days. The sampling was part of a pioneering research project on how plumbing materials affect the odor and taste of drinking water.

Andrea Dietrich and colleagues pointed out that a rash of costly pinhole leaks in recent years in commonly used copper water pipes has led to renewed interest in lower priced plastic pipes. They also noted that most people expect their drinking water to have little or no flavor and that any taste or odor in a glass of water can be highly noticeable.

Aided by a human sensory panel to detect water odors and the use of chemical analyses of water samples, the researchers evaluated water odors associated with several different types of plastic pipes. They found that some plastic pipes had lower odor potential and leaked fewer organic materials than others, suggesting that choosing the right pipes might help improve the quality and odor of drinking water.

ARTICLE #5 EMBARGOED FOR: Thursday, Aug. 23, 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time

CONTACT:
Andrea Dietrich, Ph.D.
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Va. 24061-0246
Phone: 540-231-5773
E-mail: andread@vt.edu

ARTICLE #6 EMBARGOED FOR 9 A.M., EASTERN TIME, Aug. 27, 2007

Toward a new generation of low-cost, high-
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