What are disinfection byproducts?
Disinfection byproducts (DBPs) form when disinfectants used to treat drinking water react with naturally occurring materials in the water. The predominant byproducts that result from use of chlorine as a disinfectant are trihalomethanes (chloroform, bromoform, bromodichloromethane, and dibromochloromethane) and haloacetic acids (monochloro-, dichloro-, trichloro-, monobromo-, dibromo-). Trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) form when chlorine reacts with organic and inorganic material in source water (which comes from decomposing plant material, pesticides, etc.). The amount of trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids in drinking water can change from day to day, depending on the season, water temperature, amount of chlorine added, the amount of plant material in the water, and a variety of other factors. 2. Why is drinking water chlorinated? Chlorinating tap water is critical to protect the public from disease-causing microorganisms. Drinking water is chlorinated to kill bact
