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Wrightsville Beach
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Letters to the editor

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Compound correction

Over the past weeks, you continue to publish a factual error in your stories relating to the drinking water quality in Wrightsville Beach.  Specifically, your article as published states:  “THMs form when chlorine, a disinfecting agent, mixes with organic compounds such as bromine…”.  Both chlorine and bromine are distinct chemical agents out of 116 unique chemical elements in the chemical periodic table.  Bromine IS NOT a compound.  Elements of the periodic table combine to form compounds.  Methane is an organic compound formed by the combination of the elements hydrogen and carbon.  This is a basic fact taught in high school chemistry.  Having advanced degrees in physical chemistry, I can speak with authority on this subject.  I strongly recommend that you use the correct terminology corresponding with the laws of nature in future articles.  You should more properly state that chlorine, a disinfecting agent combines with organic compounds containing bromine to form trihalomethane.

I look forward to your response.

Stephen L. Morris

BE, MS, MBA

Wilmington, NC

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