Characteristics of pipe corrosion scales in untreated water distribution system and effect on water quality in Peshawar, Pakistan

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2019-02, Vol.26 (6), p.5794-5803
• Main Authors: Shams, Dilawar Farhan, Islam, Saeed, Shi, Baoyou, Khan, Waliullah, Gunawardana, Buddhika, Saad, Maryam, Qasim, Muhammad, Javed, Haider Ali, Afridi, Sahib Gul, Naeem, Muhammad, Khan, Gul Shahzada
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alkalinity; Aluminum; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bacterial corrosion; Biofilms; Cadmium; Carbonates; Chemical composition; Chromium; Consumers; Copper; Corrosion; Corrosion effects; Corrosion rate; Destabilization; Dissolution; Dissolved oxygen; Drinking water; Drinking Water - chemistry; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Electrical conductivity; Electrical resistivity; Electron microscopes; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Ferric Compounds; Ferrosoferric Oxide; Goethite; Heavy metals; Iron; Iron Compounds; Magnetite; Manganese; Microbial activity; Minerals; Morphology; Organic chemistry; Oxidation; Pakistan; Quartz; Research Article; Scale (corrosion); Scanning electron microscopy; Trace metals; Turbidity; Waste Water Technology; Water; Water distribution; Water distribution systems; Water engineering; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollution Control; Water Quality; Water Supply - methods; Water Supply - statistics & numerical data; X-Ray Diffraction
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-04099-6

This study investigated the characteristics of iron corrosion scales in pipes at tube well, overhead tank, and consumers’ end in older untreated water distribution system in Peshawar city, Pakistan. Effect of water quality conditions on corrosion scales and that of scales on drinking water quality in such systems was also assessed by undertaking a comparison with new piped distribution systems. The scales were analyzed for chemical composition and morphology using X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma (ICP), and a scanning electron microscope (SEM), while water quality was examined for physicochemical and biological characteristics. The main crystalline phases of corrosion scales were goethite, magnetite, siderite, and quartz. From tube well to consumers’ end, goethite increased from 36 up to 48%, quartz declined from 22 to 15%, while magnetite fluctuated and siderite disappeared. Elemental composition of scales showed the deposition of Zn, Al, Mn, Cr, Pb, Cu, As, and Cd with Zn (13.9 g/kg) and Al (3.6 g/kg) in highest proportion. The SEM analysis illustrated the presence of microbial communities indicating the formation of biofilms in the corrosion scales. The significant difference ( P