Abstract
The chlorination of municipal drinking water supplies leads to the formation of so-called disinfection by-products(DBPs), many of which have been reported to cause harmful health effects based on animal studies. This study was conducted: 1) to observe seasonal changes in the major DBPs at four sampling sites on a drinking water distribution system located in Chunchon, Kangwon Do; and 2) to examine the effects of major water quality parameters on the formation of DBPs. During the field sampling, the water temperature, pH, and total and free chlorine residuals were all measured. The water samples were then analyzed for total organic carbon(TOC) and eight disinfection by-products in the laboratory. Chloroform, dichloroacetic acid, and trichloroacetic acid were the major constituents of the measured DBPs. The concentrations of the total DBPs were highest in fall, particularly in October, and lowest in summer. The concentrations of the total DBPs increased with increasing TOC concentrations. Multiple regression analyses showed that the concentrations of chloroform, bromodichloromethane, and chloral hydrate were linearly correlated with the pH. Other water parameters were not included in the regression equations. Accordingly, these results suggest that TOC and pH are both important factors in the formation of DBPs.
