The molecule is a monocarboxylic acid that is acetic acid in which one of the methyl hydrogens is replaced by bromine while a second is replaced by chlorine. A low-melting (27.5-31.5鈩?, hygroscopic crystalline solid, it can be formed during the disinfection (by chlorination) of water that contains bromide ions and organic matter, so can occur in drinking water as a byproduct of the disinfection process. It is a monocarboxylic acid, an organochlorine compound and a 2-bromocarboxylic acid.
2-bromo-2-chloroacetic acid