Our environment is rife with testimonials to the law of unintended consequences. When it comes to water treatment, the compound 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP) is the latest surprise making its way through the remediation lifecycle.
TCP is a man-made, highly chlorinated hydrocarbon commonly used in industrial solvents and degreasers, as well as in paint thinners and varnish removers. But its history as a pesticide ingredient is what has created its most pervasive problem as a drinking water contaminant. Quantification of the problem and of effective treatment solutions now provides guidelines for affected water utilities to address this most recent of many ongoing threats to drinking water safety.