Study of the Origin of Musty Taste in the Drinking Water Supply

Abstract

During Autumn 1982, many consumers complained in Paris about a musty taste. Complaints were located only in a quarter of Paris which was supplied by a surface water treatment plant. The experiments and tests have shown that this taste appeared only in the network. Musty taste was detected neither on the river nor at the outlet of the plant. Some hypotheses have been made and experiments have been conducted later because this episode of complaints stopped suddenly. It appeared that some chlorophenols were produced in the plant. These compounds were biomethylated further by fungi in the network leading to chloroanisole which give a musty taste detectable a very low concentration.

Analysis of Iodine-like (Chlorine) Flavor-causing Components in Brazilian Coffee with Rio Flavor

“…Including the Rio flavor of Brazilian coffee, chlorophenol, bromophenol, chloroanisole and bromoanisole are responsible for claims of off-flavors in drinks and foods, and can cause economic losses. We cannot rule out any possibility that Rio flavor of Brazilian coffee is caused by the decomposition of 2,4,6-TCP and PCP, which has been reported previously, and by disinfection using chlorine (Buser et al, 1982;Chatonnet et al, 2004;Curtis et al, 1974;Fukaya et al, 1994;Goldenberg and Matheson, 1975;Griffith, 1977;Montiel et al, 1999;Ogiwara et al, 2003;Saxby and Wagg, 1985;Tindale et al, 1989;Whitfield et al, 1985;Whitfield et al, 1997).…”

“…Matheson, 1975;Montiel et al, 1999;Ogiwara et al, 2003;Saxby and Wagg, 1985;Tanaka et al, 1997). Both 2,4,6-TCA and 2,6-DCP have a low threshold and cause off-flavors in drinks and foods even at very low concentrations.…”

Taste and odour problems generated in distribution systems: a case study on the formation of 2,4,6-trichloroanisole

“…U is assumed that phenolic precursors were chlorinated to 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP), which was eventually transformed to TCA by microorganisms. The last step, namely the formation of TCA in the distribution system through the biomethylation of chlorophenols, has been described in the literature (Montiel et al 1999). It is likely that this process led to the TCA that was observed in the two investigated homes.…”

Physicochemical and Microbiological Assessment of Selected Hand-Dug Wells for Water Quality in Ilesa Metropolis, Southwest Nigeria

“…This may be attributed to total dissolved solids (TDS), colour, temperature, turbidity of water and other mineral salts that were found to be higher in the dry season than in the rainy season which favour increased fungi population because reduction in water volume would increase the concentrations of microorganisms as stated by Obi et al (1998). Results from studies on taste and odour problems in drinking water indicated the occurrence of fungi as an important causative agent for these sensoric changes (Nystro¨m et al, 1992;Montiel et al, 1999), and bad tastes in water have been attributed to microfungi for decades (Kelley et al, 2003).…”