Chloroform, trichloroethene, and tetrachloroethene as well as two unidentified compounds were adsorbed from contaminated ground water onto anion-cation exchange resins during their regeneration and cleaning at the distributing plant. Contaminants leached into water passed through the resins after distribution resulted in contamination of deionized water supplies of users. Concentrations of chloroform and trichloroethene, greater in filtered water than concentrations observed in contaminated ground water, indicate the ability of resins to concentrate these compounds. Regeneration and cleaning of contaminated resins by commercial procedures with clean water is ineffective. Contaminated resins, which leached 60 g/l of chloroform into water leached 47 g/l after being returned to the distributor and regenerated with clean water. Increased awareness by users of the limits of ion exchange resins together with stricter water quality control of distributors is indicated.

Bears Bluff Field Station, Environmental Research Laboratory-Gulf Breeze, Wadmalaw Island, S.C." Sept. 1977. Includes bibliographical references (page 8).