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Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs)
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Quick Facts
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US Regulations
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Did you know?
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Related Articles
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WQRF Contaminant Occurrence Map
Check out the Contaminant Occurrence Map for visual representations of drinking water quality data for public water systems across the US. Map data is available for several DBPs, including: Bromate, Chlorite, HAA5, and TTHMs. To View the Data:
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Background
Disinfection byproducts (DBPs) can form during the chemical treatment of drinking water. DBPs are created when naturally-occurring organic materials or manmade compounds in the source water react with treatment chemicals (E.g., chlorine, ozone, chloramines). The resulting products are toxic to humans and animals and have been reported in drinking-water systems worldwide.
Exposures have been linked to a variety of health issues, including liver, kidney, and central nervous system problems. Epidemiological studies have associated lifetime exposure to chlorinated water with increased risk of bladder and colorectal cancers. The trade-off of not using disinfectant residuals, however, could mean an increased risk of exposure to microbial pathogens.
Disinfection byproducts (DBPs) can form during the chemical treatment of drinking water. DBPs are created when naturally-occurring organic materials or manmade compounds in the source water react with treatment chemicals (E.g., chlorine, ozone, chloramines). The resulting products are toxic to humans and animals and have been reported in drinking-water systems worldwide.
Exposures have been linked to a variety of health issues, including liver, kidney, and central nervous system problems. Epidemiological studies have associated lifetime exposure to chlorinated water with increased risk of bladder and colorectal cancers. The trade-off of not using disinfectant residuals, however, could mean an increased risk of exposure to microbial pathogens.
Treatment
The trade-off of not adding chlorine and risking the consequences of acute microbial illness is currently not beneficial. Therefore, treatment at the tap is recommended for controlling harmful exposures. The most widely applied point-of-use (POU) water treatment for DBP removal is activated carbon filtration. NSF-certified POU devices are required to remove 95 percent of a 300 μg/L chloroform influent challenge concentration, resulting in a 15-μg/L maximum effluent concentration. In the US and countries with similar treatment design, POU devices offer the best available treatment at the tap to mitigate DBP exposures, particularly given system variability and the uncertainties of future municipal treatment modifications.
The trade-off of not adding chlorine and risking the consequences of acute microbial illness is currently not beneficial. Therefore, treatment at the tap is recommended for controlling harmful exposures. The most widely applied point-of-use (POU) water treatment for DBP removal is activated carbon filtration. NSF-certified POU devices are required to remove 95 percent of a 300 μg/L chloroform influent challenge concentration, resulting in a 15-μg/L maximum effluent concentration. In the US and countries with similar treatment design, POU devices offer the best available treatment at the tap to mitigate DBP exposures, particularly given system variability and the uncertainties of future municipal treatment modifications.
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