Mechanistic Aspects of the Formation of Adsorbable Organic Bromine during Chlorination of Bromide-containing Synthetic Waters

During chlorination of bromide-containing waters, a significant formation of brominated disinfection byproducts is expected. This is of concern because Br-DBPs are generally more toxic than their chlorinated analogues. In this study, synthetic water samples containing dissolved organic matter (DOM) extracts and bromide were treated under various disinfection scenarios to elucidate the mechanisms of Br-DBP formation. The total concentration of Br-DBPs was measured as adsorbable organic bromine (AOBr). A portion of the bromine (HOBr) was found to react with DOM via electrophilic substitution (