Haloacetic acids (HAAs) are formed as disinfection byproducts when water is chlorinated to kill bacteria. Chlorine reacts with naturally occurring organic and inorganic matter in the water, such as decaying vegetation, to produce disinfection by-products (DBPs) that include HAAs. Of the nine species of HAAs, five are currently regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). We demonstrate a simple and sensitive IC-MS/MS method for analyzing haloacetic acids, the pesticide dalapon, and bromate in water using EPA Method 557.
