Chlorination by-products in chlorinated cooling water of some European coastal power stations

Chlorination by-products (CBPs) are formed as a result of the cnlorination of power station cooling water for anti-fouling purposes. Their production was studied at 10 coastal power stations in the UK, France and The Netherlands. Three categories of CBPs were determined: trihalomethanes; haloacetonitriles; and halophenols. Bromoform was the CBP most abundantly present in the effluents of all 10 power stations. At a mean chlorine dosage of 0.5–1.5 mg/litre (as Cl₂) the mean bromoform concentration was 16.32 ± 2.10 μg/litre. The CBP found in second highest concentrations was dibromoacetonitrile (DBAN) with mean concentrations of 1.48 ± 0.56 μg/litre. Other CBPs detected were dibromochloromethane, bromodichloromethane and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol; concentrations of these three compounds were very low (< 1 μg/litre). At those sites at which bromoform was measured in the dispersing effluent plume it was found to behave as a conservative parameter (Significant direct correlation with plume ΔT).