Assessment of trihalomethanes in drinking water using gas chromatography

Water is an essential element to sustain life. To ensure this requires a safe, adequate and accessible supply. Therefore, efforts should be made to achieve a standard drinking water quality. This is achieved through the use of water treatment plants, where the major objective is the removal of pathogenic microorganisms to prevent the spread of water-borne diseases. It is important that water treatment works be equipped with adequate disinfection systems. Disinfection processes can result in the formation of both organic and inorganic Disinfection By-Products (DBPs). The most well-known of these are the organo-chlorine by-products such as Trihalomethane (THM) compounds. THM concentrations in drinking water are measured using Gas Chromatography (GC) at various places in Thrissur City, including at the Government Engineering College, which has its water treated at the Peechi water treatment plant. A study has been conducted on parameters that affect the formation of THMs. Response surface designs have been created for each THM using the design of an experiment tool in Minitab 17, with the most influencing parameters being observed from parameter study.