Characterization of natural organic matter and its reactivity with chlorine

Hydrophobic extracts of natural organic matter (NOM) were isolated from five water supplies and characterized with pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (C-13 NMR) spectrometry. Carbon dioxide and phenol peak areas from pyrolysis GC/MS correlated with C-13 NMR estimates of carboxylic carbon content and aromatic carbon content, respectively. Phenol peak area from pyrolysis GC/MS was a qualitative indicator of chlorine consumption and disinfection byproduct (DBP) formation by the five hydrophobic NOM extracts. Phenolic carbon content, as estimated by C-13 NMR, gave a more quantitative indication of chlorine consumption and DBP formation by these five extracts.