Trihalomethanes in the drinking water of Concepción and Talcahuano,Chile |
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Authors: | Rodrigo Loyola‐Sepulveda Gonzalo Lopez‐Leal Jorge Munoz Claudio Bravo‐Linares Stephen M Mudge |
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Affiliation: | 1. Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Facultad de Ciencias, Concepción, Chile;2. Instituto de Química, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile;3. and;4. School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Anglesey, UK |
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Abstract: | Formation of trihalomethanes (THMs) during water disinfection has been related to several health problems, although the magnitude of these effects is under discussion. This paper quantifies the THMs in drinking water from the Bío‐Bío Region of central Chile, the first since the modification of the national reference value (Nch 409/05) to include maximal values for THMs. THMs were quantified using a solid phase micro‐extraction (SPME) method and GC‐MS. The concentration ranges were 9.7–111.6, 0.1–1.0 and 0.9–25.5 μg/L for chloroform (CHCl3), and dibromochloromethane (CHClBr2) and bromodichloromethane (CHCl2Br), respectively. Bromoform was not detected in any sample. There were good correlations (R2=0.91–0.98, P<0.001) between the THMs and the residence time of the water, the distance from the treatment plant and an inverse correlation to free chlorine in the water. The Additive Toxicity Index Value (0.07–1.00) showed that all samples were within the Chilean reference value for THMs in drinking water. However, several values were close to exceeding the maximum permitted concentration (200, 100, 100 and 60 μg/L for CHCl3, CHBr3, CHClBr2 and CHCl2Br, respectively), which may occur when the water demand is low and thus residence times are longer. |
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Keywords: | Bí o‐Bí o river chloroform dibromochloromethane dichlorobromomethane disinfection by‐products halocarbons solid‐phase microextraction (SPME) THMs |
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