Characterization of Volatile Organic Compounds in Drinking Water Supplies in Puerto Rico by SPME / GC-MS

The contamination
of natural waters by both biological and chemical contaminants is a worldwide
problem and Puerto Rico country isn't the exception. The use of Hypochlorus
Acid (HOCl) in the water disinfection process can cause a water drinking
problem during storage and the transmission to the consumer by adding a small
excess of the chemical. The most important contaminants commonly present in
drinking water are the trihalomethanes (THMs), phenols, amines, and phthalates.

A special attention has been made
in this research to the presence of trihalomethanes (THMs). The compound
chloroform (CHCl₃) is suspected to be a liver carcinogen in humans
and have negative reproductive and development effects. The Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) under the Clean Water Act (CWA) have set standard for Total
THMs in drinking water of 80 parts per billion as the Maximum Concentration
Limit (MCL). The analytical method used to determine the volatile organic compounds
(VOC's) in the selected potable water was the Solid Phase Micro-Extraction
(SPME) and Gas Chromatography using a Mass Spectrometry Detector (GC/MS). The
first step was the validation of the SPME fiber for the quantification of
chloroform. This preliminary research results shows that the most abundant VOC's
compounds was chloroform in the South and West Area of the island.