Abstract

Known as the most important byproducts of water disinfection with chlorigen chemicals, trihalomethanes (THMs) are

incriminated in causing severe effects upon human health. The exposure pathways that can lead to potentially significant uptake

of THMs include for adults ingestion of tap water and inhalation of THMs in vapor phase resulting from bathing, showering and

washing. The purpose of this paper is the exposure assessment to THMs through ingestion, inhalation and dermal absorption in a

group of people and to measure THMs in urine as biomarker of exposure for a group of volunteer subjects, under different

condition of exposure. The subjects were investigated based on a questionnaire that included questions about drinking water

consumption, lifestyle or other exposures to water. Along with the collection of urine samples, cold and hot tap water was taken

from the subjects residences. The THMs from water and urine were measured by gas-chromatography technique. The results

showed that the only THMs compound measured in urine of the subjects exposed to THMs (chloroform, bromodichloromethane

and dibromochloromethane) from water was chloroform. It’s identification in urine showed that the frequency and duration of

exposure could be more important than the concentration of the xenobiotic in water. The route of exposure having a decisive

contribution to the daily intake of THMs was related to ingestion and secondary to inhalation for chloroform, or dermal

absorption for bromodichloromethane. The presence of THMs in urine in different concentrations may be linked to the individual

particularities of metabolization and elimination specific to each organism.