Chemical contamination of rivers, reservoirs and ground water used as sources of drinking water originates from intentional and accidental discharges from industry, agriculture and urban pollution. This contamination requires extensive treatment, but such processes can also result in the formation of contaminants – such as the trihalomethanes that are formed by the reaction of the common oxidant chlorine with organic matter. Such contamination is naturally of concern, and acceptable levels for the volatile organic compound (VOC) content of drinking water are specified by a variety of regulatory bodies, including the European EEA, US EPA, Chinese EPA and WHO.
Headspace analysis is a well-established and robust method for the determination of VOCs in water, but in certain aspects it offers limited flexibility. In particular, the injection of larger headspace sample volumes to improve sensitivity can cause undesirable chromatographic effects such as broad or split peaks, and options such as multiple injections are usually not possible. There are also limited options for water management, meaning that analyses can suffer from reduced analyte response and repeatability, as well as negative impacts on column and detector lifetime.
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