Occurrence of Disinfection By-Products and Distribution in Drinking Water

Chlorine disinfection has been used in drinking water supply to disinfect the water-borne microbial disease which may cause to serious human disease. As Chlorination is still the least costly, relatively easy to use, chlorination is the primary means to disinfect portable water supplies and control bacterial growth in the distribution system. However, chlorine also reacts with natural organic matter (NOM), which presents in nearly all water sources, and then produces disinfection by-product (DBps), which may have adverse health effects. Although the existent DBPs have been reported in drinking water supplies, it is not feasible to predict the levels of the various DBPs due to the complex chemistry reaction involved. The objectives of this study were to investigate seasonal variation of DBPs formation and difference of DBPs concentration in the plant to tap water. The average concentration of THMs was 20.04 ${\mu}g/{\ell}$, HAAs 8-15 ${\mu}g/{\ell}$, HANs 2-4.5 ${\mu}g/{\ell}$ respectively. Distant variation of DBPs formation is that THMs concentration increase by 17% at 2 km point from the plant and by 28% at 7 km and HAAs, HANs also increase each by 16%, 32%, at 2 km from the plant and 35%, 56%, at 7 km. DBPs increase in water supply pipe continually. The seasonal occurrence of DBPs is that in May and August DBPs concentration is very high then in March, in May DBPs concentration is highest. The temperature is main factor of DBPs formation, precursor also. Precursor which was accumulated for winter flowed into the raw water by flooding in spring and summer and produced DBPs. Therefore for the supply of secure drinking water, it is required to protect precursor of flowing into raw water and to add to BCAA and DBAA to drinking water standards.