Table of Contents
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAAs) in Drinking Water
A technical paper by Olympian Water Testing specialists
Total Haloacetic Acids in Drinking Water
HAAs come from Total Haloacetic Acids (THAs) when disinfectants combine with other chemicals in pristine or polluted water. HAAs are 5 5 acids namely: monobromoacetic acid, monochloroacetic acid, dibromoacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, and tricholoroacetic acid [1]. HAAs are the disinfectant aby-products of chlorine reacting with water to disinfect it and with the organic elements present in the water. Large quantities of HAAs lead to cell mutations, cancers and are cytotoxic and teratogenic [2].
This educational paper will guide you about where HAAs come from, how much water is too high or low for the HAAs to get into your drinking water, what the health risks are and how they can be mitigated.
What are the sources of HAAs in Drinking Water?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) have always recommended that water be disinfected to stop the spread of diseases.
The chlorine is the most basic disinfectant of water which kills all the water-borne viruses and bacteria making water safe for humans and animals to drink [3].
The chlorine had been a salvation, and HAAs are some of its products created as chlorine reacts with other organic chemicals in the water. HAAs are, then, disinfection by-products. Aquatic systems based on surface water from rivers, lakes, streams and ponds will likely have more HAAs because the natural water will naturally contain high levels of organic chemicals that will react with chlorine in disinfectants [4]. All you really want to do is cut HAAs in water. But it is not a perfect compromise. Someone at some point has to drink HAA-free water. Meanwhile, they should not suffer from HAA-induced health effects. But given the medical risks of non-chlorinated water and HAAs exposure, non-chlorinated water is riskier. It’s far more serious than HAAs in water. The diseases cholera, for example, would have erupted into epidemics in the past few centuries had chlorine water disinfection not become widespread in producing drinking water. But you’ll want to know the health consequences of HAA-contaminated water, and how to prevent them.
Health Effects of Drinking Water Contaminated with Haloacetic acids
The HAAs enter the body via numerous mechanisms including chlorinated beverages and water, in skin absorbed from swimming or bathing, on food cooked in chlorinated water or on utensils cleaned with chlorinated water [4]. The HAAs are excreted with the urine and faeces in the body, which takes from 1-14 days depending on the HAAs in the body. So it is a good idea to run a water test to get an idea of the HAAs in your water.
It will depend on your skin type and allergies on how your body responds to HAAs. Others report immediate reaction — red eyes, blurred vision and itchy skin upon swimming or bathing in waters containing high levels of HAAs — others don’t react at all, or only partly [5]. There are long term side effects like liver and kidney problems and people suffering from lung diseases are worst affected [5]. In a study of public water supplies in New Hampshire, Dichloroacetic acid (DCA) and trichloroacetic acid (TCA) were the two most common HAAs in drinking water, at less than 40% and greater than 50% respectively [6]. The participants, who took products containing high amounts of DCA (about 10,000 times the level in water), developed abnormal metabolism, drowsiness, anxiety and some mild toxic side effects, according to this study.
Carcinogenic was always demonstrated, as were studies in animal models of DCA and TCA-caused liver and bladder cancer. A few studies claimed HAAs in excess or concentration in water could lead to cancer over the long term, for 10 years or more, in which one in 60K individuals got cancer following HAA exposure. But new human studies from the US National Cancer Institute [7] and Evans et al. [8] said drinking or contacting chlorine-laden water might cause bladder cancer. They proposed that the 6,800 new cases of urinary bladder cancer yearly could be triggered by disinfection by-products in US drinking water [4].
It is not surprising that many congenital disabilities are associated with drinking water laced with HAAs. pregnant women who drink water containing high HAAs, give birth to more infants with congenital disabilities [6], including kidney and heart defects, than the untreated pregnant woman. The babies are also more likely to be low-born weight. But a few reports of HAAs influence on the foetus were mixed and they have found no link to stillbirth [9].
How do you know that your water has a high concentration of HAAs?
Everyone drinks and uses chlorinated water, and a total of 250 million Americans are consuming HAAs from their local water source [4]. No visual telltale sign will tell you your water is very high in HAAs. The water is usually clear and acrid. This is why you’ll need to run a complete lab analysis to determine whether water is high in HAAs.
Can I avoid HAAs?
Just remember that the HAAs are waste products from the disinfectants. So you can’t really avoid these agents while you’re alive in the modern world and still consuming chlorine water. So you just have to test the water and maintain a level of HAA that is not dangerous.
What is the usual drinking water HAAs level?
The maximum HAA contaminant level is 60 micrograms per liter or one part per billion [10]. You’ll have to change water supplier and find ways to filter your water if your water test finds levels that are above normal.
What can I do to stay away?
Obviously, you can’t sacrifice water disinfection in the name of controlling HAAs in your tap water, as much as you put into the water. Those are the only ways to decrease the concentration of HAAs in drinking water: reduce the substances in surface water that react with chlorine to produce them. This reduction involves minimising pollution and not using surface water sources (rivers, streams, lakes, etc.). And we have to manage how much and what kind of waste we put into the environment.
Then we need to tune up the water treatment plant. It means the degradation of the wastes of treating agents without altering the water. It’s also important to know that HAAs are a function of water source and treatment method. Since chlorine is the most common water treatment process we will start from treating it. Which is to say that the amount of chlorine and purity has to be [1]. Avoid satellite water treatment at the source. Instead, the humans should take up chlorination in the homes storage tanks [1]. But this is an inconvenient approach because humans don’t want to do much work since they want municipal councils to provide them with good drinking water.
What are water purification technologies that can remove HAAs from drinking water?
Nanotechnology
The water purification system is a multiapproach system. Decontaminating water with molecular or atomic substances like copper, silver, zero-valent iron nanoparticles, nano-adsorbents, and nano-structured photocatalysts. The nanotechnology is very effective, and much cheaper than the aging method of purifying water [11]. These nano-molecules are highly surface area/volume [12] and eliminate all chemicals and pathogens. The optimal HAA nanotechnology are carbon nanotubes which filter biological, organic and non-organic contaminants from water [13].
Aquaporin Inside Water Purification
The Danish firm Cleantech has built Aquaporin Inside Technology for sanitized water [14]. Its technology based on bio-mimetic water treatment. Aquaporins facilitate very selective transport of water over the cell surface [15]. The Aquaporin system is where the cell harvests the difference between the pressure of the internal osmotic pressure and the hydrostatic pressure to purify the water. The system has reverse osmosis and forwards osmosis to clean HAAs, organic and inorganic materials, bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens.
Automatic Variable Filtration Technology
With Automatic Variable Filtration (AFV), you can filter water with a process where the down flow cleanses the up flow intake of the filter media [16]. AFV is dual-stage filter with parallel and serial modes. It’s performed on fresh water of the same purity as the micro-filtration. It is cheaper than those who use other cheap membranes. The other benefits are, low power consumption, low maintenance and no moving parts which can need to be replaced [16]. AFV technologies filter organics, inorganic pollutants, HAAs, chlorine and pathogens from the water and have been implemented for prefiltration, water recycling and reuse.
Photocatalytic Water Purification Technology
It extracts poisons from the water through ultraviolet (UV) rays and photocatalyst systems [17]. Titanium oxide is a powerful adsorbent as well as photocatalyst. The UV rays reach the photocatalyst and trigger it to pull everything from the water. The system is pretty effective because it sifts organic and inorganic pollutants. One of the best systems to get if your water is full of HAAs [17, 18]. The advantage of this system is repurposing the very polluted effluents into fresh water [18].
What should I consider before choosing a water purification technology?
Deterioration of your water : Condition of your water.
If you have HAAs in your water, you’ll need a good water filter. Authorities recommend HAA levels are tested at the point of use regularly by point of use water testing.
Your Budget
In the recent times, smart water filtration technology like Aquaporin, Nanotechnology has come on the scene. These systems are expensive to start up but they work. They require little maintenance and don’t have moving parts that can break. Moreover, they destroy all the organics, non-organics, pesticides, and waterborne pathogens.
Power Consumption
Water filtration (reverse osmosis, say) takes a bit of power. You’d be wise if you thought about electricity or energy bills in the future. Furthermore, you must also know how you will clean impurities from the water. The water testing done by a professional will be able to detect HAAs.
Point of Installation
Choose water filtration technologies that are right for your space and features. For instance, if you are installing them in the field of use, it should be enough space. This system should also work with the faucets so that you do not have to pay for the modifications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I avoid having HAAs in my drinking water?
As long as you consume chlorinated water, it is highly likely to have HAAs. These acids form when chlorine reacts with some elements found in surface water. Therefore, avoiding HAAs altogether is difficult. What matters is to know what amount is in your water since more than recommended HAA levels are hazardous.
Can I treat my water to remove HAAs?
Yes, you can treat your water. You can use electrophoresis, reverse osmosis, and other recommended methods to treat your drinking water. These methods remove all the contaminants, including HAAs [11, 18].
How do I detect if my water has high levels of HAAs
It isn’t easy to know if your water has a high level of HAAs. The only way you can know is by getting your water professionally tested. It would be best if you sought the services of the Olympian Water Testing Laboratory. They will do a quality water test and water analysis.
What is the alternative if I highly react to chlorinated water in swimming pools?
Some people react to highly chlorinated water. They can have itchy eyes, skin, and other issues [6]. However, you should seek medical advice, who will examine you and let you know what to do.
Can I drink water without chlorine?
Yes, you can, but it is highly inadvisable. You should know that chlorinated water containing HAAs is relatively safer than non-chlorinated water. Chlorine is used to disinfect water, and the effects of non-chlorinated water include water-borne diseases such as cholera which are life-threatening [19]. You should avoid using water that is not disinfected at all costs
Do I need to collect my water samples?
No. Water sampling for regulatory analysis is a technical process that requires professional experience.
Does boiling water remove HAAs?
Boiling drinking water does not remove HAAs. It kills germs and bacteria. However, HAAs and other contaminants remain in the water. Therefore, you need professional testing and when deemed necessary, professional remediation / filtration, etc.
References
- Haloacetic acids (HAAs). NewFoundLand Labrador Canada.
- Parvez, S., Ashby, J.L., Kimura, S.Y., Richardson, S.D.: Exposure Characterization of Haloacetic Acids in Humans for Exposure and Risk Assessment Applications: An Exploratory Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 16, 471 (2019).
- CDC: Water Disinfection with Chlorine and Chloramine,
- National Toxicology Program: RoC Review of Haloacetic Acids Found as Water Disinfection By-products.
- Delaware Divison of Public Health: HALOACETIC ACIDS,
- New Hamshire Environmental Services: Haloacetic Acids (five) (HAA5): Health Information Summary,
- US National Cancer Institute: Drinking Water Contaminants.
- Evans, S., Campbell, C., Naidenko, O.V.: Analysis of Cumulative Cancer Risk Associated with Disinfection Byproducts in United States Drinking Water. IJERPH. 17, 2149 (2020).
- King, W.D., Doggs, L., Allen, A.C., Armson, B.A., Fell, D., Nimrod, C.: Haloacetic acids in drinking water and risk for stillbirth. 124, (2005).
- Ghoochani, M., Rastkari, N., Nabizadeh Nodehi, R., Mahvi, A.H., Nasseri, S., Nazmara, S.: Study on the TOC concentration in raw water and HAAs in Tehran’s water treatment plant outlet. J Environ Health Sci Eng. 11, 28 (2013).
- Chalatip, R., Chawalit, R., Nopawan, R.: Removal of haloacetic acids by nanofiltration. J Environ Sci (China). 21, 96–100 (2009).
- Khan, I., Saeed, K., Khan, I.: Nanoparticles: Properties, applications and toxicities. Arabian Journal of Chemistry. 12, 908–931 (2019).
- Arora, B., Attri, P.: Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs): A Potential Nanomaterial for Water Purification. J. Compos. Sci. 4, 135 (2020).
- Aquaporin: Aquaporin Inside,
- Biofluid Mechanics. Elsevier (2022).
- Waterman Engeneers: The Automatic Variable Filtration (AFV),
- Umar, M., Abdul, H.: Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants in Water. In: Rashed, M.N. (ed.) Organic Pollutants – Monitoring, Risk and Treatment. InTech (2013).
- Ren, G., Han, H., Wang, Y., Liu, S., Zhao, J., Meng, X., Li, Z.: Recent Advances of Photocatalytic Application in Water Treatment: A Review. Nanomaterials (Basel). 11, 1804 (2021).
- Okello, P.E., Bulage, L., Riolexus, A.A., Kadobera, D., Kwesiga, B., Kajumbula, H., Mulongo, M., Namboozo, E.J., Pimundu, G., Ssewanyana, I., Kiyaga, C., Aisu, S., Zhu, B.-P.: A cholera outbreak caused by drinking contaminated river water, Bulambuli District, Eastern Uganda, March 2016. BMC Infect Dis. 19, 516 (2019).