Disinfection by-products and extractable organic compounds in South African tap water
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Date
2008Author
Nothnagel, C.
Kotte, K.
Pienaar, J.J.
Van Zyl, P.G.
Beukes, J.P.
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Show full item recordAbstract
An important step in urban purification of drinking water is disinfection by e.g.
chlorination where potential pathogenic micro-organisms in the water supply are killed.
The presence of organic material in natural water leads to the formation of organic byproducts
during disinfection. Over 500 of these disinfection by-products (DBPs) have
been identified and many more are estimated to form during the disinfection step.
Several DBPs such as trihalomethanes (THMs), which is carcinogenic, poses serious
health risks to the community. There is very few quantitative data available which
realizes the actual levels of these compounds present in drinking water. The levels of
four THMs present in drinking water were measured. It included chloroform,
bromodichloromethane, chlorodibromomethane and bromoform. Although microbiological
parameters are considered to get more attention than disinfection by-products, the
measurement of the levels of these compounds in South-African drinking water is
essential together with establishing minimum acceptable concentration levels. The
target range for total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) established by the US EPA at the end of
2003 is 0-0.08ug/mL. The aim of this paper is to create an awareness of the problem as
well as presenting preliminary results obtained with the method of analysis. Preliminary
results indicate that urgent attention must be given to the regulation and monitoring of
DBPs in South African drinking water.