Chromatographic determination of organohalogen compounds in swimming pool water

The purpose of the work was to search for a sorbent with good selective properties for water purification. For this purpose, we determined the organohalogen compounds in the water of a swimming pool. A method of gas-liquid chromatography was used, using packed and capillary chromatographic columns. To concentrate the impurities of the organohalogen compounds, an automatic vapour-phase dispenser was used. This established that the swimming pool water, taken in the evening, had a complex composition of components, including 33 organohalogens, which have different toxicities for the human body. These are classed as belonging to the first and second groups of hazards. Identification of the individual component composition was carried out by determining the relative retention times of the test compounds and standard samples of the organohalogen compounds dissolved in methanol. Out of the entire range of the organohalogen compounds contained in the swimming pool water it was determined that the highest concentration of chloroform was 0.024 mg/dm3 and the highest concentration of carbon tetrachloride was 0.018 mg/dm3. The total content of organohalogen substances in the swimming pool water was 0.370 mg/dm3, which increases the risk of human diseases while the swimming pool is in operation. It is proposed to clean the water in the swimming pools from toxic impurities by an adsorption method using rocks containing zeolite from the Tatar-Shatrashan deposit, which are characterized by a sufficiently high sorption capacity in relation to the organohalogen compounds.

Enhancement of Photo-bromination of Phenol by Anthraquinone-2-sulphonate and Benzophenone: Implication for Photo-production of Organic Brominated Compounds by Dissolved Organic Matter in Marine Environment

Organobromine compounds are of great ecological risks due to their high toxicity on organisms. Photochemical halogenation reaction may represent an important natural formation process of natural organobromine compounds in marine environment. Here we reported the enhanced formation of bromophenols from phenol by sunlit anthraquinone-2-sulphonate (AQ2S) and benzophenone (BP) in aqueous bromide solutions. Quinones and aromatic ketones are ubiquitous components of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in surface waters, and AQ2S and BP were adopted here as proxies of DOM. Bromophenols’ formation increased with the increasing of the concentrations of AQ2S and BP, and the promotion effect was in the order AQ2S > BP, indicating that sunlit DOM plays an important role for the formation of reactive bromine species. Chloride was found to promote the formation of bromophenols obviously, suggesting a possible role of the mixed reactive halogen species. Finally, the natural DOM from Suwannee River was found to enhance photobromoination at a low concentration (1 mg L-1) in aqueous bromide solution. Our results demonstrated the importance of reactive halogen species generation from sunlit DOM, which possibly contributes to the abiotic source of organohalogen compounds in marine environment.

Recent Topics in Organohalogen Reagents and Compounds

This Special Issue covers the hot topics on recent synthetic interest in halogen and related chemistry as well as the unique characteristics of halogen compounds. The excellent reviews by the experts and eminent researchers engaged in the recent advances, i.e., preparations, reactions, and mechanistic studies of unique organohalogen compounds, halogen bond interaction as the catalysis, and halogen-controlled unique reactions for synthesizing useful organic molecules, such as pharmaceutical compounds and organic materials, are provided in this Special Issue.