The use of chlorination to purify water supplies is considered one of the most important public health advances of the twentieth century. Following the 1908 introduction of widespread water chlorination, once-common diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and typhoid fever were practically eliminated. However, the chlorination cure-all proved to have a caveat: disinfection by-products (DBPs), whic...

By all accounts, disinfection of drinking water is one of the major public health triumphs of the 20th century. No human endeavor, however, is without risk; more than 30 years ago it was determined that chlori­ nation of water resulted in formation of disinfection by­products (DBPs). Several of these, such as the trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs), were subsequently observed to ...

Data on raw water quality, disinfection treatment practices, and the resulting mutagenic properties of the treated water were compiled from pilot- and full-scale treatment experiments to evaluate that parameter which might produce variability in the results of a mutagenic study. Analysis of the data and comparison of treatment practices indicated that the measured mutagenic activity is strongly...

The chronic exposure of large segments of the population to disinfected drinking water has necessitated an evaluation of the health effects of the by-products of the chlorination process. This paper reviews the available information concerning the reproductive consequences associated with exposure to disinfection by-products. Four groups of compounds are discussed: the trihalomethanes, in parti...

Potentially harmful disinfection byproducts (DBPs), as a significant challenge in water treatment, are formed when oxidizing disinfectants react with natural organic matters (NOM). Unfortunately, an  unwanted  side  effect  is  the  formation  of  harmful by-products,  such  as  THMs  and  HAAs, following the chlorination stage. DBPs  cause a variety of diseases like cancer in humans.  In this ...