What is the most common disinfection byproduct when chlorine is added to water containing natural and inorganic matter?

What is the most common disinfection byproduct when chlorine is added to water containing natural and inorganic matter?

• A. Chloroform
• B. Bromodichloromethane
• C. Monochloroacetic acid
• D. Dichloroacetic acid

Answer: (A)

Chlorine reacting with natural organic matter in water forms disinfection byproducts, and the most commonly produced of these is chloroform. This substance, a trihalomethane, tends to appear in the highest yields under typical drinking-water conditions because the organic precursors plus chlorine readily generate chlorinated methane structures. While haloacetic acids like monochloroacetic acid and dichloroacetic acid can form, and brominated byproducts can become more prominent if bromide is present, chloroform is generally the most frequently detected and abundant DBP in chlorinated waters.

Chlorine reacting with natural organic matter in water forms disinfection byproducts, and the most commonly produced of these is chloroform. This substance, a trihalomethane, tends to appear in the highest yields under typical drinking-water conditions because the organic precursors plus chlorine readily generate chlorinated methane structures. While haloacetic acids like monochloroacetic acid and dichloroacetic acid can form, and brominated byproducts can become more prominent if bromide is present, chloroform is generally the most frequently detected and abundant DBP in chlorinated waters.