Comparison of different disinfection processes for controlling disinfection by-product formation in rainwater

Zhi Liu; Yi-Li Lin; Wen-Hai Chu; Bin Xu; Tian-Yang Zhang; Chen-Yan Hu; Tong-Cheng Cao; Nai-Yun Gao; Cheng-Di Dong

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121618

Comparison of different disinfection processes for controlling disinfection by-product formation in rainwater

J Hazard Mater. 2020 Mar 5:385:121618. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121618. Epub 2019 Nov 13.

Authors

Zhi Liu¹, Yi-Li Lin², Wen-Hai Chu¹, Bin Xu³, Tian-Yang Zhang¹, Chen-Yan Hu⁴, Tong-Cheng Cao⁵, Nai-Yun Gao⁶, Cheng-Di Dong⁷

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Key Laboratory of Yangtze Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, PR China.
² Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 824, Taiwan, ROC.
³ State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Key Laboratory of Yangtze Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, PR China. Electronic address: tjwenwu@tongji.edu.cn.
⁴ College of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University of Electric Power, Shanghai 200090, PR China.
⁵ School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Road and Traffic Engineering of Ministry of Education, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China.
⁶ State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Key Laboratory of Yangtze Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China.
⁷ Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 81157, Taiwan, ROC.

PMID: 31791866
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121618

Abstract

With increasing shortage of clean water, rainwater has been considered as a precious alternative drinking water source. The processes applied to rainwater treatment are responsible for the safety of drinking water. Therefore, we systematically compared different disinfection processes to evaluate the control of disinfection by-product (DBP) formation and integrated cyto- and genotoxicity of the treated rainwater for the first time. The evaluated disinfection processes included chlorination and chloramination, pre-oxidation by potassium permanganate (KMnO₄) and potassium ferrate (K₂FeO₄), ultraviolet/hydrogen peroxide (UV/H₂O₂), and ultraviolet/persulfate (UV/PS) processes. The results revealed that chloramination was effective for controlling the formation of carbonaceous DBPs (C-DBPs), but not nitrogenous DBPs (N-DBPs). Compared to KMnO₄ pre-oxidation, better reduction of almost all DBPs was observed during K₂FeO₄ pre-oxidation. According to the calculation of cytotoxicity index (CTI) and genotoxicity index (GTI), cyto- and genotoxicity of the samples decreased obviously at the dosage of ≥ 2.0 mg/L KMnO₄ and K₂FeO₄. The control of the cyto- and genotoxicity of the formed DBPs from the two UV-related AOPs was more effective at the dosage of ≥ 1.0 mM PS and ≥ 5.0 mM H₂O₂. Moreover, UV/PS was much more powerful to alter the structure of DBP precursors in rainwater.

Keywords: Chlor(am)ination; Disinfection by-products (DBPs); Pre-oxidation; Rainwater; Ultraviolet related advanced oxidation process (UV-related AOP).

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't