Exposure to such disinfection by-products in drinking water, at high levels over many years, has been associated with a number of health outcomes by epidemiological studies.
[4] In the United States, the EPA regulates the five HAAs most commonly found in drinking water, collectively referred to as "HAA5.
HAAs are typically eliminated from the body through normal processes between 1 day and 2 weeks after ingestion, depending on the type of acid.
[2] Highly concentrated HAAs have been found to cause toxicity in various organs, including the liver and pancreas, in animal studies.
The inductive effect caused by the electronegative halogens often results in the higher acidity of these compounds by stabilising the negative charge of the conjugate base.