Disinfection by-products and volatile organic compounds in the water supply system in Athens, Greece

On a monthly basis, on a one year period, disinfection byproducts (DBPs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured in raw water and in treated water of four water treatment plants (WTP) as well as from eight representative points of the distribution network of Athens. Liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) method followed by gas chromatography (GC) with electron capture detection (ECD) and mass spectrometry (MS) was used for the determination of the DBPs, while the purge-and-trap (PAT) technique followed by GC-MS was used for the determination of the VOCs. The DBPs that have been studied included trihalomethanes (THMs), haloacetonitriles (HANs), haloketones (HKs), chlorate hydrate (CH) and chloropicrin (CP), while forty one VOCs were also studied including THMs. Chloroform (CM), dichlorobromomethane (DCBM), chlorodibromomethane (CDBM) were the major organic compounds found in all treated water samples. HANs, HKs, CH and CP were detected in treated samples but at lower concentrations.