A RARE CASE OF DRINKING WATER CONTAMINATION BY THALLIUM: PIPE MONITORING ALONG DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS IN PIETRASANTA (LU)
Thallium is a metal widely distributed in nature even though its abundance is very low. Although its presence in water distribution systems (WDSs) as a result of raw water contamination is an extremely rare condition, its toxicity has aroused concern in consumers. In September 2014, a severe contamination was detected in two WDSs of Pietrasanta, an Italian town (about 24,900 inhabitants including hamlets) of the province of Lucca in Tuscany region. The two WDSs, fed by one drainage gallery, three springs and five wells, were connected each other by a pipe and a reservoir.