Which substances serve as precursors to disinfection by-products when disinfectants are used?

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Multiple Choice

Which substances serve as precursors to disinfection by-products when disinfectants are used?

Explanation:
Disinfection by-products form when a disinfectant like chlorine reacts with natural organic matter in water. The substances that most readily serve as precursors are humic and fulvic acids, which are major components of natural organic matter derived from decaying vegetation. When chlorine encounters these humic substances, it can form by-products such as trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids. The other substances listed—iron and manganese; chloride and sulfate; nitrate and phosphate—are inorganic components or nutrients and are not the primary precursors for these disinfection by-products under typical chlorination conditions.

Disinfection by-products form when a disinfectant like chlorine reacts with natural organic matter in water. The substances that most readily serve as precursors are humic and fulvic acids, which are major components of natural organic matter derived from decaying vegetation. When chlorine encounters these humic substances, it can form by-products such as trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids. The other substances listed—iron and manganese; chloride and sulfate; nitrate and phosphate—are inorganic components or nutrients and are not the primary precursors for these disinfection by-products under typical chlorination conditions.

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