What are disinfection byproducts and how do they get in our water?
Water may contain microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria that can cause serious illness (gastrointestinal disorders or diarrhea) and even death. Public water suppliers disinfect their water to kill these microorganisms. Chlorine is the most commonly used disinfectant, sometimes used in combination with other disinfectants, such as ozone, chloramine, chlorine dioxide, and ultraviolet light. Disinfection byproducts are a family of chemicals formed when these disinfectants react with naturally occurring organic matter and other substances in the source water. The levels of disinfection byproducts depend upon the nature of the source water, the type of treatment to remove particles and organic matter, and type and concentration of disinfection. DBPs include haloacetic acids (HAA) and trihalomethanes (THM). HAA5 is the sum of five HAAs: monochloroacetic, dichloroacetic, trichloroacetic, monobromo-acetic, and dibromoacetic acids. TTHM is the sum of four chlorine and bromine-containing t
