The Effect of Bromide Ions on the Formation of Brominated Haloacetic Acids (Br-HAAs) in Tropical Rivers, Thailand
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Abstract
With the presence of bromide ions in chlorination during water purification, hypobromous acid (HOBr) is formed, leading to the formation and distribution of brominated disinfection by-products (Br-DBPs) in tap water. Brominated haloacetic acids (HAAs) in tap water are known to be significantly harmful and toxic to human health. Bromide ions are naturally present in groundwater and surface water, primarily as affected by seawater intrusion. Conventional treatment methods face difficulty in completely eliminating bromide ions. This study investigated the concentration of bromide ions and the haloacetic acid formation potentials (HAAFPs) in three tropical river sources in Thailand: the Tha-Chin River, the Chao Phraya River, and the Mae Klong River. The bromide ion concentrations were 44.79, 41.34, and 18.22 µg/L, respectively. In these three rivers, chlorinated and brominated HAAs (trichloroacetic acid (TCAA), dichloroacetic acid (DCAA), bromodichloroacetic acid, and bromochloroacetic acid) were detected after chlorination. The sum of only DCAAFPs and TCAAFPs were significantly higher than the US EPA regulations of 60 µg/L for total HAA5 (the sum of monochloroacetic acid, monobromoacetic acid, DCAA, dibromoacetic acid, and TCAA). The DCAAFPs in the Chao Phraya River were relatively high, surpassing the WHO guidelines of 50 µg/L. This study also found that the Tha-Chin River had high levels of bromide ions and brominated HAAFPs, resulting from seawater intrusion from the estuary Gulf. These findings highlighted the formation of brominated HAAFPs, which were particularly significant in water sources with higher levels of bromide ions in the water.
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References
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