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. 2010 Jul;83(1):135-43.
doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.2010.09-0431.

Disinfection by-product formation and mitigation strategies in point-of-use chlorination with sodium dichloroisocyanurate in Tanzania

Daniele S Lantagne  1 , Fred Cardinali, Ben C Blount
Affiliations

Disinfection by-product formation and mitigation strategies in point-of-use chlorination with sodium dichloroisocyanurate in Tanzania

Daniele S Lantagne et al. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2010 Jul.

Abstract

Almost a billion persons lack access to improved drinking water, and diarrheal diseases cause an estimated 1.87 million deaths per year. Sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC) tablets are widely recommended for household water treatment to reduce diarrhea. Because NaDCC is directly added to untreated water sources, concerns have been raised about the potential health impact of disinfection by-products. This study investigated trihalomethane (THM) production in water from six sources used for drinking (0.6-888.5 nephelometric turbidity units) near Arusha, Tanzania. No sample collected at 1, 8, and 24 hours after NaDCC addition exceeded the World Health Organization guideline values for either individual or total THMs. Ceramic filtration, sand filtration, cloth filtration, and settling and decanting were not effective mitigation strategies to reduce THM formation. Chlorine residual and THM formation were not significantly different in NaDCC and sodium hypochlorite treatment. Household chlorination of turbid and non-turbid waters did not create THM concentrations that exceeded health risk guidelines.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Water sources in study in Tanzania (clockwise from top left: river, pond, private pond, open well, borehole with tap). Public tap not pictured.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Treatment methods used in Tanzania (clockwise from left: simple sand filtration, ceramic filtration, cloth filtration, Medentech flocculation/disinfection tablet)
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Total trihalomethane concentration over 24 hours in six sources with eight treatments, Tanzania.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Chlorine residual concentration after 24 hours in waters treated with chlorination-only options, Tanzania.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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