Field Sensor for Measuring Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Concentrations in Drinking Water

Rapid detection of the total trihalomethanes (TTHM) in treated drinking water is essential for compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts (DBP) Rule, which limits the maximum contaminant level of TTHM in drinking water to 80 parts per billion. The current detection method for TTHM determination involves sending samples to EPA certified laboratories for gas chromatography analysis; a method that is both expensive and time consuming. The ideal TTHM water monitoring system would be a hand-held, rapid response device that would detect TTHM levels and aid in the identification of contamination sites before they develop into larger problems. In this Phase I, Agave BioSystems proposes to develop a colorimetric/fluorometric TTHM detection system based on a modified Fujiwara reaction, which will be subsequently integrated into a portable field sensor. This assay system will elute THMs, filtered from a water sample, into a reaction buffer and through a modified Fujiwara reaction, yield a detectable color or fluorescent product that correlates directly to the TTHM levels of the water sample.