Evaluation of Daily Variations of
Carbon Chloroform Extracts with the
Presently Used Two-Week Carbon
Adsorption Method
PETER F. ATKINS, JR. ,*Graduate Student
H. D. TOMLINSON, Associate Director
Environmental and Sanitary Engineering Division
Washington University,
Saint Louis, Missouri
INTRODUCTION
Improved treatment of water supplies has been so successful throughout
the nation in the last 50 years, that the average citizen now expects a safe
water supply without question. This demand for a safe water supply, coupled
with the increasing demand for more water by industry as well as the public,
has and will continue to tax the water works industry for many years to come.
By 1980 it is estimated that the nation's water usage will double that used
presently (1). Hence, new sources of water must be evaluated, existing sup-
pUes improved and in some cases water will be reused many times. Directly
related to the investigation of new supplies and improvement of existing supplies is the need for new, and the improvement of existing water quality
parameters.
Recent investigations (2) (3) (4) have shown that water treatment plants
throughout the country are becoming severely burdened in their efforts to provide water free from organic pollutants. The removal of these organic pollutants from our water supplies is important because they have been shown
(2) (3) (4) (5) to cause tastes and odors in drinking water, increased chlorine
and carbon demands, interference with coagulation and other problems to the
water works industry.
These organic poUutants have also been associated with problems encountered in industrial process waters. Malodors have been reported in the
beverage industry (6). Difficulties have been encountered with fouling of ion
exchange resins by these organic chemical poUutants (7). An extensive
evaluation of the concentration of these organic pollutants in various industrial waste discharges has been reported by Sproul (8).
The effect of these pollutants on living beings may be significant. Mid-
dleton (5) and Sproul (8) have shown that these pollutants may have adverse
effects on aquatic life and, in some cases, direct toxic effects in a relatively
short period of time. Recently Hueper (9), approaching the problem as to the
long range effects of those pollutants, has posed the question ofthe carcinogenic hazards from these pollutants on man and fish life. He stressed the
importance of further research along these lines.
' Present address - Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Maine,
Orono, Maine.
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