Removal of disinfection by-product precursors in drinking water treatment processes: Is fluorescence parallel factor analysis a promising indicator?

This work investigated the removal efficiency of disinfection by-product (DBP) precursors by different drinking water treatment processes and evaluated the feasibility of using fluorescence components removal as an indicator. A four-component (including tryptophan-like, protein-bound, tyrosine-like, and humic-like components) parallel factor analysis model was developed basing on 288 fluorescence excitation-emission matrices. Among all treatment processes, coagulation-sedimentation process showed the best performance, with mean removal ratios of 30% in total fluorescence intensity and 31% in total formation potential (FP) of DBPs, respectively. It preferentially removed humic-like component C4 (43%). Advanced treatment processes were less effective in comparison. Ozone and biological activated carbon (BAC) combined process reduced 20% of total fluorescence intensity, while ultrafiltration process reduced < 3%. Ozonation and BAC filtration preferentially removed free amino acids (i.e., C1 and C3) and protein-bound (i.e., C2) components, with mean removal ratios of 12% and 17%, respectively. Significant correlations (p < 0.01, double-tailed) were observed between four fluorescence components removal and FPs reduction of three trihalomethanes, dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN), and 1,1-dichloropropanone (1,1-DCP). Specifically, the correlation coefficients for three trihalomethanes and 1,1-DCP followed the order of C4 > C1 > C2 > C3, while the order for DCAN was C2 > C4 > C1 > C3.

Comparing a silver-impregnated activated carbon with an unmodified activated carbon for disinfection by-product minimisation and precursor removal

During disinfection, bromide, iodide and natural organic matter (NOM) in source waters can lead to the formation of brominated and/or iodinated disinfection by-products (DBPs), which are often more toxic than their chlorinated analogues. The objective of this study was to compare the efficiency of a silver-impregnated activated carbon (SIAC) with the equivalent unimpregnated granular activated carbon (GAC) for the removal of bromide, iodide and NOM from a matrix of synthetic waters with variable NOM, halide, and alkalinity concentrations, and to investigate the impact on DBP formation. An enhanced coagulation (EC) pre-treatment was employed prior to sample exposure to either carbon adsorbent. Excellent halide removals were observed by the SIAC treatment across the sample matrix, with iodide concentrations consistently reduced to below the method reporting limit (<2 μg/L) from as high as 25 μg/L, and 95±4% removal of bromide achieved. Bromide removal by unimpregnated GAC was poor, however iodide removal was comparable to that achieved by SIAC. The combination of EC with SIAC treatment removed 77±8% of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) present, across the sample matrix, which was similar to removals by EC/GAC (67±14%). Combined EC/SIAC treatment reduced both total trihalomethanes (tTHMs) and total dihaloacetonitriles (tDHANs) formation by 97±3%, while also achieving a greater than 74% removal of two chloropropanones and a 92±8% decrease in chloral hydrate (CH), compared to untreated samples, regardless of the sample's starting water quality (bromide, alkalinity and NOM concentration). Combined EC/GAC treatment led to similar DBP removals to EC/SIAC for the fully chlorinated DBPs, however, brominated DBPs were less efficiently removed, or experienced concentration increases.

Hydrodynamic chronoamperometric method for the determination of H₂O₂ using MnO₂-based carbon paste electrodes in groundwater treated by Fenton and Fenton-like reagents for natural organic matter removal

A simple hydrodynamic chronoamperometric method based on the application of an unmodified carbon paste electrode (CPE) and bulk-modified with different contents of MnO2 was investigated for the determination of H2O2. The optimized method involving the CPE with 5% of MnO2 was applied for the determination of the H2O2 consumption in samples of groundwater from the Central Banat region (Province of Vojvodina, Serbia) treated by the Fenton (Fe(2+) and H2O2) and Fenton-like (Fe(3+) and H2O2) reagents to remove natural organic matter at different initial concentrations of iron species, and of their ratios to the initial concentration of H2O2. Under optimized conditions, with a working potential of 0.40V vs. the saturated calomel electrode and a phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.5) as supporting electrolyte, the method enabled the quantitation of H2O2 in the concentration interval from 1.4 to 65 μg mL(-1) with a relative standard deviation of less than 10%. The results obtained for the H2O2 consumption are in good agreement with those obtained by parallel measurements related to the efficiency of organic matter removal.