Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering National Taiwan University No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei, 10617, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
Sci Rep. 2018 Apr 9;8(1):5709. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-23975-2.
Herbal spa treatments are favorite recreational activities throughout the world. The water in spas is often disinfected to control pathogenic microorganisms and guarantee hygiene. However, chlorinated water may cause the formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs). Although there have been many studies on DBP formation in swimming pools, the role of organic matter derived from herbal medicines applied in herbal spa water has been largely neglected. Accordingly, the present study investigated the effect of herbal medicines on the formation of trihalomethanes (THMs) in simulated herbal spa water. Water samples were collected from a spa pool, and then, disinfection and herbal addition experiments were performed in a laboratory. The results showed that the organic molecules introduced by the herbal medicines are significant precursors to the formation of THMs in spa pool water. Since at least 50% of THMs were produced within the first six hours of the reaction time, the presence of herbal medicines in spa water could present a parallel route for THM exposure. Therefore, despite the undeniable benefits of herbal spas, the effect of applied herbs on DBP formation in chlorinated water should be considered to improve the water quality and health benefits of spa facilities.
草药水疗是世界各地人们喜爱的休闲活动。水疗中心的水通常经过消毒以控制致病微生物并保证卫生。然而，氯化水可能会导致消毒副产物（DBP）的形成。尽管已有许多关于游泳池中 DBP 形成的研究，但草药中有机物在草药水疗水中的作用在很大程度上被忽视了。因此，本研究调查了草药对模拟草药水疗水中三卤甲烷（THMs）形成的影响。从水疗池收集水样，然后在实验室进行消毒和草药添加实验。结果表明，草药引入的有机分子是水疗池水中 THMs 形成的重要前体。由于至少有 50%的 THMs 在反应时间的前六个小时内产生，因此草药在水疗水中的存在可能为 THM 暴露提供了一条平行途径。因此，尽管草药水疗有不可否认的好处，但应考虑应用草药对氯化水中 DBP 形成的影响，以提高水疗设施的水质和健康效益。
