Monitoring and Assessment of the Quality of Chlorinated Water in Schools
Vanessa Stein,
Alessandro Cazonatto Galvão,
Alexandre Tadeu Paulino,
Alex Molina Manfredi,
Edmar Martendal,
Tainara Vieira,
Weber da Silva Robazza
Affiliations
Vanessa Stein
Department of Food Engineering and Chemical Engineering, Santa Catarina State University, Br. 282, Km 574, Pinhalzinho 89870-000, SC, Brazil
Alessandro Cazonatto Galvão
Department of Food Engineering and Chemical Engineering, Santa Catarina State University, Br. 282, Km 574, Pinhalzinho 89870-000, SC, Brazil
Alexandre Tadeu Paulino
Department of Chemistry, Santa Catarina State University, Rua Paulo Malschitzki, 200, Zona Industrial Norte, Joinville 89219-710, SC, Brazil
Alex Molina Manfredi
Department of Food Engineering and Chemical Engineering, Santa Catarina State University, Br. 282, Km 574, Pinhalzinho 89870-000, SC, Brazil
Edmar Martendal
Department of Chemistry, Santa Catarina State University, Rua Paulo Malschitzki, 200, Zona Industrial Norte, Joinville 89219-710, SC, Brazil
Tainara Vieira
Postgraduate Program in Applied Chemistry, Santa Catarina State University, Rua Paulo Malschitzki, 200, Zona Industrial Norte, Joinville 89219-710, SC, Brazil
Weber da Silva Robazza
Department of Food Engineering and Chemical Engineering, Santa Catarina State University, Br. 282, Km 574, Pinhalzinho 89870-000, SC, Brazil
All water destined for human consumption must be subjected to disinfection processes via chlorination with the aim of eliminating the risk of the transmission of waterborne diseases. However, the treatment of water using this method leads to the formation of trihalomethanes (THMs), which are toxic compounds that may be ingested, inhaled, or absorbed by the skin, increasing the risk of carcinogenic and mutagenic processes. High trihalomethane concentrations in water may be directly related to physicochemical properties, such as temperature, pH, hardness, and potentially toxic metal concentrations. In this work, physicochemical characterization was performed and water quality was assessed with regard to the presence of trihalomethanes in 17 samples collected from points before and after storage in reservoirs. Atomic absorption spectroscopy to determine potentially toxic metals and the measurement of physicochemical properties demonstrated that all results were in accordance with the standards established by Brazilian legislation. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was used to determine levels of trihalomethanes in the water samples (trichloromethane, bromodichloromethane, chlorodibromomethane, and bromoform), which were also in accordance with the limits established by Brazilian legislation. Hierarchical clustering on principal components confirmed changes in the water quality depending on location. This work constitutes a paradigm for future studies on the monitoring of toxic organic compounds in water to avoid health problems in humans and animals.