Formação de trialometanos em uma estação de tratamento de água

Abstract

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), there is a strong relationship between bladder, colon and rectal cancer and the ingestion of water treated with trihalomethanes (THM) present. These compounds are carcinogens to laboratory animals (Singer, 1993) in certain concentrations. The objective of this work is the study of the THM formation in the water treatment plant in order to verify the THM levels reached, as well as the behavior of THM formation based in the minimum and maximum quantities of organic matter present in the in-natura water. Results obtained for two distinct periods (rainy and dry) have demonstrated that the THM concentrations found during the rainy period were much higher than those found during the dry period