Tracking disinfection by-products in northern Canada: impacts of dissolved organic matter and regional variation
9 affiliations
- 1Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Eau Terre Environnement, Québec City, Quebec, Canada
- 2Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Eau Terre Environnement , Québec City, Quebec, Canada
- 3Université Laval, Département de génie civil et de génie des eaux, Québec City, Quebec, Canada
- 4Université Laval, École supérieure d’aménagement du territoire et de développement régional, Québec City, Quebec, Canada;
- 5Community of Pond Inlet, Pond Inlet, Nunavut, Canada;
- 6ArctiCONNEXION, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada;
- 7K'ahsho Got'ine Foundation, Fort Good Hope, NorthWest Territories, Canada;
- 8Fort Good Hope Renewable Resources Council, Fort Good Hope, NorthWest Territories, Canada;
- 9Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Eau Terre Environnement, Québec City, Canada
Abstract
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) concentrations are increasing globally in surface waters—a phenomenon known as browning—especially in northern ecosystems. Browning affects lake mixing, light penetration, oxygen availability, and microbial communities, posing challenges for drinking water safety. In northern communities, where surface water is generally treated without DOM removal, chlorination can produce disinfection by-products (DBPs), such as trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs), which are regulated for potential health risks. We assessed DBP concentrations in drinking water from eight northern communities in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Nunavik, and examined relationships with DOM quantity and composition. Despite oligotrophic source waters with low dissolved organic carbon (DOC < 6 mg L-1), DBPs were detected in all treated samples, occasionally exceeding Canadian guidelines (up to 109 µg L 1 for THMs and 100 µg L 1 for HAAs). DBP formation correlated primarily with DOC and, secondarily, with pH and DOM optical properties. Regional DOM quality variations—characterized by optical and fluorescence indicators—were linked to DBP composition differences. These findings underscore the vulnerability of northern drinking water systems to DBP formation even under low-DOM conditions, and the importance of DOM quality as a driver of DBP variability. As climate change intensifies browning through precipitation, permafrost thaw, and runoff, DBP risks will rise, requiring enhanced monitoring, improved treatment, and long-term planning.
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BibTeX
@article{herrera2026tracking,
title = {{Tracking disinfection by-products in northern Canada: impacts of dissolved organic matter and regional variation}},
author = {Camilo A Herrera and Jérôme Comte and Stéphanie Guilherme and Manuel Rodriguez and Tim Anaviapik-Soucie and Vincent L'Herault and Danny Masuzumi and Daniel Jackson and Marie-Ange Moisan and Isabelle Laurion},
journal = {Arctic Science},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1139/as-2026-0016},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2026-0016},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Tracking disinfection by-products in northern Canada: impacts of dissolved organic matter and regional variation
AU - Camilo A Herrera
AU - Jérôme Comte
AU - Stéphanie Guilherme
AU - Manuel Rodriguez
AU - Tim Anaviapik-Soucie
AU - Vincent L'Herault
AU - Danny Masuzumi
AU - Daniel Jackson
AU - Marie-Ange Moisan
AU - Isabelle Laurion
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Arctic Science
DO - 10.1139/as-2026-0016
UR - https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2026-0016
AB - Dissolved organic matter (DOM) concentrations are increasing globally in surface waters—a phenomenon known as browning—especially in northern ecosystems. Browning affects lake mixing, light penetration, oxygen availability, and microbial communities, posing challenges for drinking water safety. In northern communities, where surface water is generally treated without DOM removal, chlorination can produce disinfection by-products (DBPs), such as trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs), which are regulated for potential health risks. We assessed DBP concentrations in drinking water from eight northern communities in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Nunavik, and examined relationships with DOM quantity and composition. Despite oligotrophic source waters with low dissolved organic carbon (DOC < 6 mg L-1), DBPs were detected in all treated samples, occasionally exceeding Canadian guidelines (up to 109 µg L 1 for THMs and 100 µg L 1 for HAAs). DBP formation correlated primarily with DOC and, secondarily, with pH and DOM optical properties. Regional DOM quality variations—characterized by optical and fluorescence indicators—were linked to DBP composition differences. These findings underscore the vulnerability of northern drinking water systems to DBP formation even under low-DOM conditions, and the importance of DOM quality as a driver of DBP variability. As climate change intensifies browning through precipitation, permafrost thaw, and runoff, DBP risks will rise, requiring enhanced monitoring, improved treatment, and long-term planning.
SN - 2368-7460
ER -