Corrosion in Drinking Water Distribution Systems:  A Major Contributor of Copper and Lead to Wastewaters and Effluents

Abstract

Corrosion, even in water supply systems with treatment to reduce it, can be a major contributor of copper and lead to both treated municipal (publicly owned treatment works, POTW) wastewater effluents and biosolids. Lead and copper concentrations were measured at several points in the water/wastewater systems of four Massachusetts municipalities. Domestic wastewater was found to contain concentrations of lead and copper significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those in source waters. For each facility, the median concentration of Cu in domestic wastewater was a substantial fraction of the median concentration found in the influent to the POTWs with ratios of 0.36, 0.41, 0.65, and 1.25 for Gardner, New Bedford, Fall River, and Clinton, respectively. The values for lead, in the same order, were 0.28, 0.19, 0.17, and 0.69 (this last ratio based on mean values). Data from the study indicate that minimizing influent concentrations of Cu and Pb to POTWs is an important control factor since the finding of constant removal efficiency for these two constituents means that the higher their concentrations in the influent, the higher they will be in the effluent. These observations strongly support the concern that corrosive drinking water contributes substantially to exceeding, at a minimum, water quality criteria for copper, where dilution of wastewater effluents is low. In turn, this argues for corrosion reduction efforts in water supply systems and the means by which such controls are effected to consider impacts on wastewater as well, which generally is not now done.

Observation of metal ions adsorption on novel polymeric chelating fiber and activated carbon fiber

“…In the past decade, our knowledge of the detrimental effects of trace and ultratrace quantities of metals in our environment has greatly increased [2][3][4]. These metals may cause cancers and other serious diseases [5].…”

Brass Corrosion and The LCR Monitoring Program

“…One study found that 60–75% of all lead was leached in the first 125 mL and 95% in the first 250 mL of flow from brass fixtures (Gardels & Sorg, 1989). Two more recent field studies seem to support this observation as well (Knobeloch et al, 1998; Isaac et al, 1997). The first study reported that the dominant source of lead and copper in domestic wastewater is the corrosion of domestic plumbing, which included all houses in the service area irrespective of their age (Isaac et al, 1997).…”

Adsorption Study of Metal Ions on Electrochemically Synthesized Poly-(ortho-phenylenediamine)

“…For the Langmuir model, the following equation was used: q eq = q m C eq (K d +C eq ) [3] where q eq and C eq correspond to the milligrams of Cd adsorbed per one gram of the polymer and the residual Cd concentration in the solution when in equilibrium and K d and q m are Langmuir constant and maximum capacity of adsorption for this model. Freundlich isotherm constants were calculated with the equation: lnq eq = n lnC eq + lnK F [4] where K F and n are the Freundlich constants characteristic of the polymer system.…”

“…The solid phase extraction (SPE) technique has been widely used in the preconcentration of trace and ultra trace amounts of analytes to enhance the sensitivity of determination (2). A large range of special chelating resins of SPE reagents, which are highly selective for particular ions, have been prepared in the past decade (3). Chelating resins are generally efficient in the adsorption of trace metal ions because of their physical and chemical stability.…”