The removal of organic precursors of DBPs during three advanced water treatment processes including ultrafiltration, biofiltration, and ozonation

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2016-08, Vol.23 (16), p.16641-16652
• Main Authors: Zha, Xiao-song, Ma, Lu-ming, Wu, Jin, Liu, Yan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetates; Acids; Activated carbon; Alcohols; Aldehydes; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Biodegradation; Biofiltration; By products; Charcoal; Chloroacetic acid; Chloroform; Disinfection; Disinfection & disinfectants; Dominant species; Drinking water; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Efficiency; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental protection; Environmental science; Geographical distribution; Haloacetic acids; Halogenation; Microorganisms; Molecular weight; Organic matter; Oxidation; Ozonation; Ozone; Raw water; Research Article; Sedimentation & deposition; Singers; Studies; Trihalomethanes; Trihalomethanes - analysis; Trihalomethanes - chemistry; Ultrafiltration; Waste Water Technology; Water analysis; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry; Water Pollution Control; Water Purification - methods; Water sampling; Water treatment
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-6643-z

The removal efficiency of organic matter, the formation potential of trihalomethanes (THMFP), and the formation potential of haloacetic acids (HAAFP) in each unit of three advanced treatment processes were investigated in this paper. The molecular weight distribution and the components of organic matter in water samples were also determined to study the transformation of organic matter during these advanced treatments. Low-molecular-weight matter was the predominant fraction in raw water, and it could not be removed effectively by ultrafiltration and biofiltration. The dominant species of disinfection by-product formation potential (DBPFP) in raw water were chloroform and monochloroacetic acid (MCAA), with average concentrations of 107.3 and 125.9 μg/L, respectively. However, the formation potential of chloroform and MCAA decreased to 36.2 and 11.5 μg/L after ultrafiltration. Similarly, biological pretreatment obtained high removal efficiency for DBPFP. The total THMFP decreased from 173.8 to 81.8 μg/L, and the total HAAFP decreased from 211.9 to 84.2 μg/L. Separate ozonation had an adverse effect on DBPFP, especially for chlorinated HAAFP. Numerous low-molecular-weight compounds such as aldehydes, ketones, and alcohols were generated during the ozonation, which have been proven to be important precursors of HAAs. However, the ozonation/biological activated carbon (BAC) combined process had a better removal efficiency for DBPFP. The total DBPFP decreased remarkably from 338.7 to 113.3 μg/L after the O 3 /BAC process, far below the separated BAC of process B (189.1 μg/L).