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A study at a Paris, France, treatment site investigated theidentity and origin of a musty taste in drinking water. Thiscase was not attributable to algal metabolites such asgeosmin or 2-methylisoborneol. When standard analyticalapproaches could not pinpoint the suspect compound, theauthors turned to a new and more sensitive analyticalapproach: large-volume gas chromatography-massspectrometry.The musty taste was traced to the presence of 2,4,6-tribromoanisole,a compound with an extremely low odor thresholdconcentration of 30 pg/L. In this case, a storage tank with acement-based coating leached tribromophenol, which converted totribromoanisole in the tank and imparted a musty odorto the water.This study highlights two important concerns for distributionsystems: many cases of earthy-musty off-flavors will remainunsolved unless more sensitive measures, capable of detectionlimits of subnanograms per litre, are used; and, utilities shouldbe aware that inappropriate distribution system coatings can lead toserious taste and odor problems. In Paris, French health authoritieshad approved the coating material for drinking water contact, basedon leaching tests carried out by the city's control laboratory. Moreextensive tests are required to determine precursors of biologicallyformed products that may later affect water quality. Includes 36 references, tables, figures.

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Edition: Vol. 94 - No. 7 Published: 07/01/2002 Number of Pages: 12 File Size: 1 file , 290 KB