A critical review of trihalomethane and haloacetic acid formation from natural organic matter surrogates

Abstract

Disinfection by-products (DBPs) in drinking water, including trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs), arise from reactions of natural organic matter (NOM) with chlorine and other disinfectants. The objective of this review was to investigate relationships between the molecular properties of NOM surrogates and DBP formation using data collated for 185 compounds. While formation of THMs correlated strongly with chlorine substitution, no meaningful relationships existed between compound physicochemical properties and DBP formation. Thus non-empirical predictors of DBP formation are unlikely in natural waters. Activated aromatic compounds are well known to be reactive precursors; in addition DBP formation from β-dicarbonyl, amino acid and carbohydrate precursors can be significant. Therefore effective DBP control strategies need to encompass both hydrophobic and hydrophilic NOM components, as well as consider data from NOM surrogates in the context of knowledge from representative treatment scenarios. In future experiments, employing surrogates of NOM is likely to remain a powerful tool in the search for unknown precursors and in understanding their response to various disinfection conditions

Trends on Natural Organic Matter in Drinking Water Sources and its Treatment

“…The concentration may vary according to many factors such as topography, season, flood, drought and human activities (Hudson et al, 2007;Abdullah et al, 2003). This indicated that, NOM concentration and characteristics is dependent to water origin and its surrounding (Bond et al, 2012;Zularisam et al, 2006). Table 1 shows variation in hydrophobic and hydrophilic concentration in river water at different places.…”

Disinfection and DBPs removal in drinking water treatment: A perspective for a green technology

“…The maturation of municipal water purification in the last decades has authorized cities in the developed countries to be mostly without of waterborne diseases. Since the application of filtration and disinfection of potable water in the United States, waterborne diseases like cholera and typhoid have been almost removed (Bond et al, 2012;Weiner, 2012;Gopal et al, 2007;Liviac et al, 2011;Ghernaout et al, 2008;.…”

Using Automated On-Site Monitoring to Calibrate Empirical Models of Trihalomethanes Concentrations in Drinking Water

“…The total concentration of these four THMs (Total THMs) is regulated and should not exceed the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 0.080 mg·L ) [2,3] in finished drinking water. Data from the Environmental Working Group Drinking Water Database collected in 2007 [5] demonstrates that one in five legal violations in drinking water is a violation of the MCL for Total THMs. Clearly, many utilities struggle each year to meet these regulations and the occurrence of THMs formation in public drinking water is widespread.…”

“…This is due in no small part to water chlorination which many consider the most significant public health development of the 20th century [1]. Unfortunately, despite all its benefits, water chlorination results in the formation of carcinogenic disinfection by-products (DBPs) from the reactions of free available chlorine with natural organic matter in source waters [1][2][3][4][5].…”

“…THMs formation is dependent upon several factors [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12], perhaps chief among them the quality of source water available to the water treatment plant. Source water quality varies from plant to plant, and the approach that WTPs take to minimize THMs formation may vary greatly from location to location.…”