Justification of the prospects of using HuTu 80 cell culture for detecting chemical contamination of water sources for household and drinking water use by the population

Introduction. The inherent limitations of conventional water quality and safety monitoring for public drinking water supplies underscore the urgent need for “in vitro” cellular models. Such models provide a robust framework for the rapid screening and identification of chemical contaminants in water samples.

The purpose of the work is to substantiate, based on the results of experimental modeling, the possibility of using the HuTu 80 human cell culture to detect chemical contamination of water sources for household and drinking water use by the population.

Materials and methods. The quality and safety of drinking water sources were assessed using an expanded set of forty five sanitary-chemical indicators, including the mandatory minimum (MR 2.1.4.0176–20), in compliance with the regulatory standards established in SanPiN 1.2.3685–21. The response of the HuTu 80 cell line to water samples was assessed by monitoring changes in mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity following a 48-hour exposure period.

Results. 5 out of 10 water samples exerted an adverse impact on the HuTu 80 cell line, although only two samples showed concentrations of chemical substances (magnesium, sodium, lithium ions, as well as chlorides and sulfates) exceeding established regulatory limits. Experimental modeling of the native water composition for the first time demonstrated that metabolic inhibition could be attributed to the presence of magnesium, sulfate, and lithium ions at concentrations both above and below their respective maximum permissible levels. Furthermore, the combined effect of these inorganic ions induced a more pronounced shift in metabolic activity compared to the influence of each individual component.

Limitations. The present study is limited by the requirement for specialized equipment and precision analytical instruments, a relatively small sample size, and the necessity to account for microbiological factors.

Conclusions. The results of the study on native water samples and experimental modeling of their composition demonstrated the potential of using the HuTu 80 cell culture to detect chemical pollution in drinking water sources when maximum permissible concentrations for individual sanitary-chemical indicators are exceeded.

Compliance with ethical standards. Study approval was provided by the Local Ethics Committee of the Saratov Hygiene Medical Research Center of the FBSI «FSC Medical and Preventive Health Risk Management Technologies (meeting protocol No. 18 dated SSeptember 1 2022) and was conducted in accordance with the generally accepted scientific principles of the Declaration of Helsinki of the World Medical Association (2013 revision).

Contribution:
Kuzyanov D.A. – concept and design of the study, material collection, statistical data processing, manuscript writing;
Moiseeva E.M. – material collection and processing, manuscript writing;
Mikerov A.N. – editing, approval of the final manuscript version;
Erdniev L.P. – editing;
Lutcevich I.N. – editing, approval of the final manuscript version.
All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding. The study had no sponsorship.

Received: March 24, 2026 / Accepted: May 20, 2026 / Published: June 18, 2026

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