Recovery of 3-chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone from water samples on XAD resins and the effect of chlorine on its mutagenicity

The potent bacterial mutagen 3-chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2-(5H)-furanone (MX) was recovered from granular activated carbon treated distilled water by adsorption on XAD resins. Recovery was approximately 3 times greater on XAD-8 than on XAD-2 resins. The addition of chlorine at increasing concentrations brought about a progressive reduction in the percentage of MX recovered by XAD adsorption. A time-dependent decrease in mutagenicity was observed in aqueous solutions of MX. In the presence of chlorine the rate of mutagenicity decay increased. The level of MX in tap water depended on the rate of degradation by residual chlorine, as well as on the amount produced by the chlorination of humic substances and other precursors.