The objectives of this study were to investigate various distribution conditions that directly affect the production of tastes and odors, identify the chemical causes, and develop guidelines to help water utilities solve or prevent these types of problems. This paper presents four case studies of taste-and-odor problems generated in distribution systems. Two types of problems will be presented, (1) problems that occur in association with pipe or reservoir lining material leaching into the water and (2) problems that are caused by a continuation of chemical reactions in the water within the distribution system. The sensory method used was flavor profile analysis (FPA) and the chemical methods were closed loop stripping analysis (CLSA) or liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Bromophenols and bromodichloroiodomethanes were found to be the cause of the medicinal odors, while alkyl benzenes and naphthalene were found to be associated with the oil-base paint type of odors.
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Research Article|
September 01 1999
Distribution-Generated Taste-and-Odor Phenomena
Djanette Khiari;
Djanette Khiari
*Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Water Quality Division, La Verne, CA 91750-3399, USA
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Auguste Bruchet;
Auguste Bruchet
**Centre International de Recherche sur l'Eau et l'Environnement, 38 Rue du Président Wilson, 78230 Le Pecq, France
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Thomas Gittelman;
Thomas Gittelman
***Philadelphia Suburban Water Company, 762 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr, PA 19010-3489, USA
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Lleonard Matia;
Lleonard Matia
†Sociedad General de Aguas de Barcelona, Passeig de Sant Joan 39-43, Apartado de Correos 261, 08009 Barcelona, Spain
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Sylvia Barrett;
Sylvia Barrett
*Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Water Quality Division, La Verne, CA 91750-3399, USA
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I. H. (Mel) Suffet;
I. H. (Mel) Suffet
‡University of California at Los Angeles, 19833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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Ruth Hund
Ruth Hund
§American Water Works Association Research Foundation, 6666 W. Quincy Avenue, Denver, CO 80235, USA
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Water Sci Technol (1999) 40 (6): 129–133.
Citation
Djanette Khiari, Auguste Bruchet, Thomas Gittelman, Lleonard Matia, Sylvia Barrett, I. H. (Mel) Suffet, Ruth Hund; Distribution-Generated Taste-and-Odor Phenomena. Water Sci Technol 1 September 1999; 40 (6): 129–133. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.1999.0280
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