Measurement of trihalomethanes and methyl tertiary-butyl ether in tap water using solid-phase microextraction GC-MS

The prevalence of water disinfection byproducts in drinking water supplies has raised concerns about possible health effects from chronic exposure to these compounds. To support studies exploring the relation between exposure to trihalomethanes (THMs) and health effects, we have developed an automated analytical method using headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with capillary gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. This method quantitates trace levels of THMs (chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane, and bromoform) and methyl tertiary-butyl ether in tap water. Detection limits of less than 100 ng/L for all analytes and linear ranges of three orders of magnitude are adequate for measuring the THMs in tap water samples tested from across the United States. THMs are stable for extended periods in tap water samples after quenching of residual chlorine and buffering to pH 6.5, thus enabling larger epidemiologic field studies with simplified sample collection protocols.