Volatile Disinfection By-Products from Indoor Chlorinated Swimming Pools William Weaver - Purdue University

The disinfection of indoor swimming pools through chlorination is of growing concern due to the generation of problematic disinfection by-products (DBPs). To examine the scope of this issue, eleven pools were sampled over a six month period and analyzed for their volatile DBP content. Eleven compounds were identified as regularly occurring DBPs: cyanogen chloride (CNCl), cyanogens bromide (CNBr), dichloroacetonitrile (CNCHCl₂), dichloromethylamine (CH₃NCl₂), chloroform (CHCl₃), bromoform (CHBr₃), dichlorobromomethane (CHBrCl₂), dibromochloromethane (CHBr₂Cl), monochloramine (NH₂Cl), dichloramine (NHCl₂), and trichloramine (NCl₃). Pool water samples were analyzed for residual chlorine (DPD colorimetric method) and by membrane introduction mass spectrometry (MIMS). These two methods were chosen because they provide complementary measures of water chemistry, and to allow comparisons between methods. Additionally, a comparison of volatile DBPs has been made for 3 pools where new UV disinfection systems were recently installed. Air sampling/analysis was also performed through application of a modified impinger method. Air and water composition for all three pools have been compared for both pre and post installation of the UV disinfection system. Through this research, we intend to expand the knowledge of swimming pool DBPs, the correlation between these DBPs, the effects of UV on volatile DBPs, and the compatibility of multiple analytical methods.

Biographical Information:

Bill Weaver is currently a Research Assistant in Environmental Engineering at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. He expects to receive his Masters of Science in Environmental Engineering in December, 2008. After joining his first swim team at age 5, he continued to compete for the next 20 years. As a former Big 10 Champion, NCAA All-American and USA National Team member, he began his professional career as a coach in 1997. He was a swimming and diving coach for 10 years at various schools and universities including Purdue and the University of Pittsburgh. He decided to leave coaching to pursue a career as an Environmental Engineer. He feels he can provide a unique perspective and approach to the growing demands of the indoor aquatics industry.