Impact of UV irradiation on disinfection by-product formation and speciation from post-chlorination of dissolved organic matter

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of combined low-pressure ultraviolet (UV)irradiation and chlorination on the formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs) from different dissolved organic matter (DOM) as DBP precursors. Commercially available humic acid (HA), extracellular organic matter (EOM) from green algae, cyanobacteria, and diatom, namely Scenedesmus quadricauda (SQ), Merismopedia sp. (Msp), and Phaedactylum tricornutum (PT), were used as the sources of DOM. The DBP formation increased with increasing total residual chlorine; EOM from PT presented the highest formation potential followed by HA, Msp, and SQ. The low dosage of 40 mJ/cm2 UV irradiation is insignificant to change the DBP formation from HA and SQ; however, it decreased the DBP formation from bromide-containing EOM of PT and promoted the DBP formation from EOM of Msp at various total residual chlorines. The DBP formation of each DOM correlated well with total residual chlorine. The maximum DBP formation potential (DBPFP) reduction of 42.25 and 13.75% for haloacetic acid formation potential (HAAFP) and trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP) was obtained at the UV irradiation dosage of 300 mJ/cm2 for EOM of PT. However, for the EOM derived from Msp, a maximum increase of 58.1 and 51.1% for HAAFP and THMFP was observed after UV-chlorination.

Adsorption/Coagulation/Ceramic Microfiltration for Treating Challenging Waters for Drinking Water Production

Pressurized powdered activated carbon/coagulation/ceramic microfiltration (PAC/Alum/MF) was investigated at pilot scale for treating low turbidity and low natural organic matter (NOM) surface waters spiked with organic microcontaminants. A total of 11 trials with clarified or non-clarified waters spiked with pesticides, pharmaceutical compounds, or microcystins were conducted to assess the removal of microcontaminants, NOM (as 254 nm absorbance, A254, and dissolved organic carbon, DOC), trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP), aerobic endospores as protozoan (oo)cysts indicators, bacteriophages as viruses indicators, and regular drinking water quality parameters. PAC/(Alum)/MF achieved 75% to complete removal of total microcontaminants with 4–18 mg/L of a mesoporous PAC and 2 h contact time, with a reliable particle separation (turbidity < 0.03 NTU) and low aluminium residuals. Microcontaminants showed different amenabilities to PAC adsorption, depending on their charge, hydrophobicity (Log Kow), polar surface area and aromatic rings count. Compounds less amenable to adsorption showed higher vulnerability to NOM competition (higher A254 waters), greatly benefiting from DOC-normalized PAC dose increase. PAC/Alum/MF also attained 29–47% NOM median removal, decreasing THMFP by 26%. PAC complemented NOM removal by coagulation (+15–19%), though with no substantial improvement towards THMFP and membrane fouling. Furthermore, PAC/Alum/MF was a full barrier against aerobic endospores, and PAC dosing was crucial for ≥1.1-log reduction in bacteriophages.

Ozonation of natural organic matter and aquatic humic substances: the effects of ozone on the structural characteristics and subsequent trihalomethane formation potential

The effect of ozonation on the structural and chemical characteristics of natural organic matter (NOM) and its isolated humic fractions, humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid, were studied using Fourier transform infrared coupled to attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR), ultraviolet/visible (UV/Vis) spectroscopy, and synchronous scanning fluorescence (SSF) spectroscopy. The results were linked to the effect of ozonation on trihalomethane formation potential (THMfp) reduction for water standards with high THM precursors. Results showed that ozonation at a dose of 1 mg ozone/mg dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was capable of reducing DOC, UV absorbance at 254 nm (UV254), and THMfp by up to 42%, 95%, and 89% for the HA water standard, respectively. The study of UV/Vis, FTIR-ATR, and SSF revealed trends showing that ozone can alter the composition of DOC in the water standards, causing a significant reduction in aromaticity. The reduction of UV254 for each ozonated sample also affirms that ozone mainly targets aromatic moieties contained in NOM. FTIR-ATR results showed that the reduction of unsaturated functional groups, including aromatic rings and C = C bonds in the water standards tested, were the main components impacted by ozone application. SSF results also revealed that ozonation decreases the fluorescence intensity of the maximum peak – as well as the whole spectra.

Importance of correcting for fluorescence quenching in fluorescence-based prediction of trihalomethane formation potential

Fluorescence excitation–emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy is often used to determine the levels of trihalomethane (THM) precursors in natural organic matter. However, humic substances are known to quench the fluorescence of amino acids and proteins. To date, none of the EEM-based models for predicting THM formation potential (THMFP) have explicitly accounted for these quenching effects. Thus, we investigated the importance of correcting for fluorescence quenching during THMFP prediction. Fluorescence titration experiments revealed that the correction improved the accuracy of THM prediction. EEM-based models using the corrected fluorescence intensity displayed the highest accuracy (R2 &gt; 0.99; mean absolute error 8.1 μg/L and 13.9 μg/L for chloroform and bromoform, respectively) among models using individual parameters of EEM intensity, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm (UV254), specific UV254 (SUVA254) and differential ultraviolet absorbance at 272 nm (ΔUV272). Thus, EEM-based models require both the fluorescence intensity of a humic-like component and the corrected fluorescence intensity of a protein-like component for accurate THMFP prediction, for both chlorination and bromination processes. We also found it to be unnecessary to combine DOC with EEM intensity in terms of prediction accuracy, as long as the fluorescence quenching correction is applied.

Ion-exchange for trihalomethane control in potable water treatment – a municipal water treatment case study in Rainy River, Ontario, Canada

The objectives of this study were to investigate the ability for ion-exchange (IX) to control trihalomethane (THM) formation, and to act as a potential treatment addition (upgrade) to a conventional treatment plant in Rainy River Ontario, Canada. The primary goal was to investigate the total organic carbon (TOC) and trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP) removal as a function of resin dose; and note the relative improvements over current conventional plant operation. IX resin (DOWEX TAN-1, Purolite 502P and 860, and Amberlite PWA9) removed 68–72% of TOC and 30–40% THMFP from the conventionally filtered water. Fixed-bed fluidized bed contactor was used to investigate the TOC/THMFP breakthrough for the DOWEX TAN-1 resin. Complete resin breakthrough occurred followed by 1,275 and 1,075 bed volumes for TOC and THMFP, respectively. Breakthrough output following 1,000 treated bed volumes was noted as the point at which THMFP levels reach the 0.1 mg L–1 water quality standard threshold required by Canadian regulators. High exchange capacities were recorded for the TAN-1 (3.02 mg mL–1) and PWA9 (2.03 mg mL–1) resins – both of which contain styrene backbones. The results produced in the bench-scale experiments were used very successfully in a full-scale upgrade of the Rainy River water treatment plant.