Recent studies originating from this laboratory and the Newport News
Water Works has confirmed the bacterial degradation of various disinfection byproducts
(DBPs) in drinking water. This bacterial degradation appears to be common in areas of the
distribution system that have low levels of residual chlorine and high heterotrophic
bacterial levels. Two specific bacteria have been identified that are capable of degrading a
variety of haloacetic acids (HAAs) and other DBPs using a specific halodehalogenase
enzyme. These bacteria have been cultured in the laboratory and identified as a
Burkholderia and Sphingomonas species. A rather effective and relatively simple
colorimetric method has been developed which is able to detect the release of HCl or HBr
from the HAAs during the enzymatic degradation. Using this colorimetric method the
authors have been able to examine the speciation of the enzymatic degradation and
selectivity of the two bacteria for various HAAs and haloacetonitriles (HANs). This
colorimetric method could be very adaptable to future laboratory procedures involving the
detection of bacterial species capable of HAA degradation in a particular distribution
system. This method could be useful to those laboratories involved in the selection and
monitoring for the future IDSE requirement for stage 2 of the disinfection byproduct rule. Includes 15 references, tables, figures.
| Edition : | Vol. - No. |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 360 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 13 |
| Published : | 11/01/2005 |
