Iron+Bis+Phenol+A

__**Disinfectant Byproducts**__ by Chelsea Starks 
 * __Abstract__** 

Disinfection byproducts are chemicals that are produced when the disinfectants that are used in water treatment facilities react with natural organic compounds. Trihalomethanes (THMs) are chemicals that are produced when chlorine or other disinfectants used to control the number of contaminants in drinking water react with naturally transpiring organic and inorganic matter in water. Bromate is a chemical produced when ozone used to disinfect drinking water with naturally occurring bromide found in tap water. Each of these chemicals has it's effect on not only the environment but on the human race as well. Since the unearthing of chlorinating byproducts in drinking water in 1974, many toxicological studies have been made. These studies have displayed that several of these products have been shown to cause bladder or colorectal cancer in humans. Some have also been shown to have an adverse reproductive or developmental effect. The chemicals involved in this study include: chlorite, and certain THMs, and HAA5s. Several studies have been made investigating the connection between chlorinated surface water and cancer. There remains a huge debate on whether or not these byproducts increase cancer risks. There are some alternatives we can look at such as switching to a chloramine system considering it reduces the trihalomethane level by about half. It may be a little expensive but if it helps the living conditions of others, it's worth it. The estimated cost of the equipment is about $180, 000 for one city/town. Some of the cleanest water is in Europe. Their strict regulations on what is acceptable and what is not I think helps them significantly because the rules are followed to the letter. I think that either way there will be some type of risk there but if we were to switch I don't there would be a more of a risk than we already have with what we have. Switching and trying to better these water conditions is not only good for people in general but also could be helpful to the environment. Less pollutants on this Earth makes it greener. The switch may be expensive but like I said before it is definitely worth it in the end. I also believe that if people actually knew what they were drinking they'd buy more bottled water or boil their own to kill all the other chemicals and contaminants in the water. But other than just switching to a new system I believe that the U.S., needs to step forth stricter regulations if they want this country's water and overall health improved. America has been downed with "no you can't's" and "you won't succeed's" but we've succeeded. And with this I can see if we start to adopt some of Europe's policies we may be better off than we are now.

**__Background Info__** 

Disinfection byproducts are produced when the disinfectants that are used in water treatment facilities react with bromide and/or natural organic compounds such as decomp and other things that are in the water. Different disinfectants make different types or amounts of disinfection byproducts. Regulations that have been made for these disinfection byproducts have been pin pointed in drinking water, including trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids, bromate, and chlorite.

Trihalomethanes or THMs for short, are a group of four chemcials that are made along with other disinfection byproducts when chlorine or other disinfectants used to control the number of germs in drinking water react with naturally transpiring organic and inorganic matter in water.The Trihalomethanes are chloroform, bromodichlormenthane, dibromochloromethane, and bromoform.

Haloacetic Acids or HAA5 for short, are a group of chemicals that are produced the same way as THMs are. The controlled haloacetic acids or the HAA5 are: monochloroacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, mononbromoacetic acid, and dibromoacetic acid.

Bromate is a chemical produced when ozone used to disinfect drinking water with naturally occurring bromide found in tap water.

Chlorite is a byproduct formed when chlorine dioxide is used to disinfect water.

__**Citations:**__

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (Friday, April 10, 2009). Disinfection Byproducts: A Reference Resource. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/enviro/html/icr/gloss_dbp.html

Lenntech Water Treatment Solutions. (1998-2009). Disinfection byproducts. Retrieved from http://www.lenntech.com/processes/disinfection/byproducts/disinfection-byproducts.htm

California Environmental Health Investigations Branch. (2008, March 21). Disinfection-By Products Retrieved from http://www.ehib.org/topic.jsp?topic_key=113

**__Chemistry__** 

Disinfection byproducts are formed when disinfectants used in water treatment plants react with bromide and/or natural organic matter (i.e., decaying vegetation) present in the source water. Different disinfectants produce different types or amounts of disinfection byproducts. The only disinfectant byproducts that are produced differently than most is Bromate and Chlorine. And each are made differently. Bromate is formed when the ozone used to disinfect drinking water reacts with naturally occurring bromide found in source water. Chlorite is formed when chlorine dioxide is used to disinfect water. Common household water-use activities such as showering, bathing, drinking, and washing clothes or dishes are potentially important contributors to individual exposure to trihalomethanes (THMs). Trihalomethanes are a by-product of the disinfection process. They are formed when chlorine breaks down organic material in the water. Chlorine is added to the water to kill bacteria, viruses, and other organisms that could cause serious waterborne illnesses and death. Trihalomethanes are chemical compounds in which three of the four hydrogen atoms of methane (CH4) are replaced by halogen atoms. Many trihalomethanes find uses in industry as solvents or refrigerants. Trihalomethanes with all the same atoms are called haloforms.



This is the atomic structure of trihalmethane.

** __Health Human Implications__ **

Since the discovery of chlorinating byproducts in drinking water in 1974, many toxicological studies have been made involving animals in a lab. These studies have shown that a lot of these products have been shown to cause bladder and colorectal cancer in humans. Some have also shown to stunt reproductive or developmental effect in the animals. Some of these chemicals include: chlorite, and certain THMs, and HAA5s. Numerous studies have been made investigating the relationship between exposure to chlorinated surface water and cancer. Many have hinted at the possibility of an increased cancer risk to people exposed to chlorinated waters while on the other hand some other have not. There remains a huge debate on whether or not these byproducts increase cancer risks. Some of the THMs are quite volatile and may easily vaporize into the air. This makes it possible to inhale while showering, for example. Because of the huge size of the population drinking water from public systems and thus potientially being exposed to DBPs [disinfection byproducts], health risks associated with DBPs, no matter how miniscule need to be taken very seriously.

__**Environmental/Economic/Political Implications**__ 

Although man makes these chemicals at which to kill the things harmful to him, killing the environment in turn is what it is doing. The disinfectant byproducts of chlorite, bromide, and other are environmental pollutants. The switching to a chloramine system instead of the current system could slow the the formation of chloramines. This has been used by water systems for almost 90 years and over 68 million people in the U.S. drink chloraminated water. The cost of the equipment to switch to this system is about $180, 000. Chloramines are made when ammonia is added to chlorinated water. They slow the formation of trihalomethanes, sort of like a speed bump. If you're wondering, chloraminated water is safe for drinking, bathing, cooking, gardening, and other household tasks. Tap water in Europe is very safe; the laws are among the strictest in the world to keep contaminants out. According to the CDC, there is a high risk for unsafe water in Central America, most of Africa and Asia, and the Middle East. Moderate levels of risk in Eastern Europe, Russia, South Africa, Argentina, Chile and some parts of the Caribbean [including Haiti and the Dominican Republic]. Tap water is generally the safest in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Northern and Western Europe, many part of the Caribbean, and Japan. Because of all these dangers, the EPA published the Stage 1 Disinfectants/Disinfection Byproducts Rule to regulate chlorite at a monthly average level of 1 part per million [ppm] in drinking water. And for bromate it gives it an annual average of 10 parts per billion [ppb].


 * __Summary__**

To conclude all of the research I have done I think that there needs to be a switch from using chlorites to disinfect drinking water such as chloraminates which slow the formation of trihalomethanes and may significantly cut the level of total trihalomethanes in half. However there is still a slight problem because still the chloramine needs to be removed when the water is used in kidney dialysis machines and in fish tanks but they are easy solutions to those problems. Such as talk to you doctor about the dialysis method being used and there are aquarium supply stores that sell chloramine removal products. I believe if the U.S. get stricter about it's regulations on drinking water then maybe we might have even cleaner water than Europe. They may only have the cleanest water possibly because of the strict environmental regulations, if other countries were to adopt some of these regulations there would possibly be less disease and sickness caused by waterborne contaminants.

 PSA - Disinfectant byproducts - Trihalomethanes [THMs]

media type="file" key="PSA Q3 Benchmark_STARKS - Medium.m4v" width="300" height="300" align="center"