Real-time, on-line analysis of haloacetic acid species and amounts thereof in drinking water supplies

A method of analyzing drinking water samples comprising the steps of:

• a) providing at least one stream of drinking water that has been disinfected with chlorinated or chloraminated materials;
• b) delivering said at least one stream of drinking water through at least two anion exchange columns present in a series with a suitable buffer to separate all individual haloacetic acids, listed as monochloroacetic acid (MCAA), dichloroacetic acid (DCAA), trichloroacetic acid (TCAA), monobromoacetic acid (MBAA), dibromoacetic acid (DBAA), bromochloroacetic acid (BCAA), bromodichloroacetic acid (BDCAA), dibromochloroacetic acid (DBCAA), and tribromoacetic acid (TBAA), present within said at least one stream of drinking water from one another;
• c) delivering said separated haloacetic acids to a mixing manifold and introducing therein a fluorescing compound for reaction with each of said separated individual haloacetic acids to provide separate fluorescing haloacetic acids;
• d) heating said separate fluorescing haloacetic acids;
• and
• e) delivering the separated fluorescing haloacetic acids to a fluorescence detector to determine the amount of each separate haloacetic acid within the at least one initial drinking water stream through fluorescence detection;
• wherein said method permits separate elution of monochloroacetic acid and monobromoacetic acid to permit proper and separate measurement of each haloacetic acid present within said drinking water to a measurement level of μg/L.