Assessment of Disinfection By-Products in Drinking Water in Korea

음용수 중 소독부산물 발생현황에 관한 연구

The main purpose of applying the chlorination process during water treatment is for disinfection. Research results, however, indicate that disinfection by-products including trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids, haloacetonitriles, haloketones, and chloropicrin can be produced by chlorination process. Some of these disinfection by-products are known to be potential human carcinogens. This three-year project is designed to establish a standard analysis procedure for disinfection by-products in drinking water and investigate the distribution and sources of specific disinfection by-products. The occurrence level of DBPs in drinking water was below 50$\mu\textrm{g}$/L in most cases. THMs in plant effluent accounted for 48% of all DBPs measured, whereas HAAs accounted for 24%, HANs 14%, haloketones 5%, chloral hydrate 7%, and chloropicrin 2%. Chloroform was found to be the major THMs compound (71%), followed by bromodichloromethane (21%), dibro-mochloromethane (7%), and bromoform (3%), The concentration of DBPs formed in distribution systems increased from those detected in plant effluent. Results would play an important role in exposure assessment as a part of the risk assessment process, and would give basic information for establishment of disinfection by-products reduction and management procedures.