LUKT OG SMAK AV DRIKKEVANN – KAN VI IDENTIFISERE PROBLEMKOMPONENTENE? / Drinking water off-flavours – can we identify their chemical constituents?
Odour and taste problems are among the most common reasons for consumer complaints to drinking water quality. This work describes extraction and quantification of volatile organic components (VOC) in water, including well-known odour components and disinfection byproducts. The analytical approach is based on purge and trap of VOC from drinking water at various experimental conditions using Tenax adsorbents, accompanied by automatic thermal desorption of VOC and GCMS analysis. Preliminary experiments using solid phase microextraction (SPME) for extraction of VOC were also carried out. The aim of this project is to establish knowledge and analytical expertise on off-flavours in drinking water in order to serve Norwegian waterworks and food control authorities.