Evaluating the occurrence of trihalomethanes in drinking water and their implications for human health risk

Trihalomethanes (THMs) are a group of volatile organic compounds that can be easily found in drinking water, especially in municipal water distribution systems supplied by water treatment stations as a result of the chlorination process. This study investigates the THMs presence in various sources across Romania and conducts a human health risk assessment in order to determine the potential danger the population is exposed to. Using a gas-chromatography coupled mass-spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis method, water samples collected over the course of a year were analysed and revealed the cumulative sum of all trihalomethanes (ΣTHMs) saw a maximum concentration of 90.6 µg/L, with an average of 25.6 µg/L and a median of 22.2 µg/L with chloroform and bromoform being the most abundant. The analysis of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks associated with THMs in drinking water reveals women exhibit higher risk levels than men across both categories. The total non-carcinogenic risks for women range from 5.14×10-4 to 4.30×10-1, while for men, the risks range from 4.78×10-4 to 3.78×10-1. Carcinogenic risk assessments indicate a similar trend, with total risks for women varying between 1.37×10-6 and 1.88×10-4, and for men between 2.22×10-7 and 1.66×10-4. comparable values for cancer risk that exceed the minimum or negligible risk threshold established by the USEPA (1.00×10-6).