UL Enhances Tests for Analyzing Taste, Odor in Drinking Water
October 16, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) enhanced two test methods for taste and odor compounds in municipal drinking water.
The most common causes of taste and odor issues are geosmin and 2-methylisoborneaol (MIB), which are naturally occurring compounds produced by blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), diatoms and actinomycetes.
In addition to geosmin and MIB, experts said other compounds such as haloanisoles, pyrazines, b-cyclocitral and d-limonene can cause unpleasant taste and odor in water supplies.
To improve upon the Standard Method 6040D for analyzing drinking water taste and odor issues, UL added isotope dilution, chemical ionization and tandem mass spectrometry techniques.
UL increased the sensitivity, accuracy and precision of the method, experts said, while reducing the matrix effects and instrumental variation by using isotopically labeled analogs as the internal standards.
UL also developed a second in-house method designated as V210, which allows them to quantitate a range of drinking water taste and odor compounds within 48 hours.
UL's V210 method uses gas chromatograpy-mass spectrometry with electron impact ionization, selected ion storage and purge-and-trap techniques.
Source: Underwriters Laboratories (UL).