Development of Test Methods for Two USEPA Regulated Disinfection By-Products (DBPs): Trihalomethanes (THMs) and Haloacetic Acids (HAAs) in Tap Water Using New Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) with Purge and Trap System

During disinfection in the drinking water treatment process, the main objective is to kill/inactivate pathogens in water, which cause water-born diseases. The conventional and most widely used chemical in water disinfection is chlorine. Unfortunately, during this process, disinfectant by-products (DBPs) are produced; the two most common DBPs are Trihalomethanes (THMs) and Haloacetic acids (HAAs). USEPA has found that a long term exposure to these chemicals may leave people vulnerable and at a higher risk to develop health problems, such as cancers and miscarriages. Therefore, USEPA has set regulations for the maximum contaminant levels for these two DBPs in drinking water: 80 and 60 micrograms per liter (µg/L) or parts per billion (ppb) for THMs and HAAs, respectively. The objective of this project is to develop test methods for THMs and HAAs in tap water using the state-of-the-art Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrophotometer (GC/MS) with Purge and Trap System, which is newly installed and readily available in Dr. Fu’s Water and Environmental Research Lab (WERL) in the Carruth Building. Currently, THMs analysis has been conducted on two different tap water samples here on the Georgia Southern University campus. The tap water samples were collected from the WERL in the Carruth Building and Environmental Engineering Teaching Lab in the Engineering Building. Results from THMs analysis have yielded concentrations in the range of 7-9 ppb for the tap water samples, which is well below the USEPA regulation limit. HAAs analysis is still in the developing stages, but will be conducted in the coming weeks. After the test methods for THMs and HAAs are developed, more tap water samples will be collected from GSU campus and City of Statesboro for testing