Formation of DBPs in the drinking eater of Athens, Greece: a Ten-Year study

The formation of Disinfection By-Products (DBPs) in drinking water results from the
reaction of chlorine or other disinfectants added to the water with naturally occurring
organic materials, and has raised concerns during the last decades because these
compounds are harmful for human health. During the present work, the formation of
different categories of DBPs was investigated in four water treatment plants (WTP) using
chlorine as disinfectant, and in selected points of the distribution network of Athens,
Greece, which is supplied from these four WTP, during a period of ten years. The
concentrations of DBPs were generally low and the annual mean concentrations always
well below the regulatory limit of the European Union (EU) for the total trihalomethanes
(TTHMs). The haloacetic acids (HAAs) have not been regulated in the EU, but during this
investigation they often occurred in significant levels, sometimes exceeding the levels of
TTHMs, which highlights the importance of their monitoring in drinking water. Apart from
THMs and HAAs, several other DBPs species were detected at much lower
concentrations in the chlorinated waters: chloral hydrate, haloketones and, in a limited
number of cases, haloacetonitriles.