Occurrence and behaviors of fluorescence EEM-PARAFAC components in drinking water and wastewater treatment systems and their applications: a review

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2015-05, Vol.22 (9), p.6500-6510
• Main Authors: Yang, Liyang, Hur, Jin, Zhuang, Wane
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activated carbon; Anion exchange; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Behavior; Biological; Biological treatment; By products; Byproducts; Discriminant analysis; Disinfection; Disinfection & disinfectants; Dissolved organic matter; Drinking water; Drinking Water - analysis; Drinking Water - chemistry; Drinking Water - standards; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Factor analysis; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Filtration; Flocculation; Fluorescence; Formations; Humic Substances - analysis; Irradiation; Proteins; Raw water; Review Article; Spectrometry, Fluorescence - methods; Studies; Treated water; Trihalomethanes; Trihalomethanes - analysis; Ultraviolet radiation; Waste Water - analysis; Waste Water - chemistry; Waste Water Technology; Wastewater treatment; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry; Water Pollution Control; Water Purification - methods; Water Purification - standards; Water Quality; Water treatment
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-4214-3

Fluorescence excitation emission matrices-parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) is a powerful tool for characterizing dissolved organic matter (DOM), and it is applied in a rapidly growing number of studies on drinking water and wastewater treatments. This paper presents an overview of recent findings about the occurrence and behavior of PARAFAC components in drinking water and wastewater treatments, as well as their feasibility for assessing the treatment performance and water quality including disinfection by-product formation potentials (DBPs FPs). A variety of humic-like, protein-like, and unique (e.g., pyrene-like) fluorescent components have been identified, providing valuable insights into the chemical composition of DOM and the effects of various treatment processes in engineered systems. Coagulation/flocculation-clarification preferentially removes humic-like components, and additional treatments such as biological activated carbon filtration, anion exchange, and UV irradiation can further remove DOM from drinking water. In contrast, biological treatments are more effective for protein-like components in wastewater treatments. PARAFAC components have been proven to be valuable as surrogates for conventional water quality parameter, to track the changes of organic matter quantity and quality in drinking water and wastewater treatments. They are also feasible for assessing formations of trihalomethanes and other DBPs and evaluating treatment system performance. Further studies of EEM-PARAFAC for assessing the effects of the raw water quality and variable treatment conditions on the removal of DOM, and the formation potentials of various emerging DBPs, are essential for optimizing the treatment processes to ensure treated water quality.