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ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTS OF CHLORINATED SEAWATER FROM POWER PLANTS ON AQUATIC ORGANISMS
Citation:
Sung, R., D. Strehler, AND C. Thorne. ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTS OF CHLORINATED SEAWATER FROM POWER PLANTS ON AQUATIC ORGANISMS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/7-78/221.
Description:
The report gives a detailed review of past and present research efforts on the effects of chlorinated seawater from power plants on aquatic organisms. It includes: (1) A characterization of chemical species contained in power plant seawater discharges; (2) a review of the amperometric titration method for residual chlorine determinations in seawater; and (3) an analysis of the toxicity of compounds formed by chlorination of seawater. The review concluded that (1) the toxicity of chlorinated seawater effluent is due primarily to various oxidant residuals produced by chlorination, rather than to residual chlorine itself; (2) the amperometric titration method is adequate to determine safe oxidant levels when identification of specific compounds is not required; (3) bromoform is a principal contributor to toxicity in power plant discharges (because of volatility and degradability, bromoform is not expected to be as toxic as chloroform); and (4) other compounds suspected of causing toxicity have not been clearly identified.