Characterization of dissolved organic carbon and disinfection by-products in biochar filter leachate using orbitrap mass spectrometry

Atcharaporn Youngwilai; Phanwatt Phungsai; Nontipa Supanchaiyamat; Andrew J Hunt; Yuvarat Ngernyen; Thunyalux Ratpukdi; Eakalak Khan; Sumana Siripattanakul-Ratpukdi

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127691

Characterization of dissolved organic carbon and disinfection by-products in biochar filter leachate using orbitrap mass spectrometry

J Hazard Mater. 2022 Feb 15;424(Pt C):127691. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127691. Epub 2021 Nov 6.

Authors

Atcharaporn Youngwilai¹, Phanwatt Phungsai¹, Nontipa Supanchaiyamat², Andrew J Hunt², Yuvarat Ngernyen³, Thunyalux Ratpukdi⁴, Eakalak Khan⁵, Sumana Siripattanakul-Ratpukdi⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Research Center for Environmental and Hazardous Substance Management, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.
² Materials Chemistry Research Center, Department of Chemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.
³ Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.
⁴ Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Research Center for Environmental and Hazardous Substance Management, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand; Center of Excellence on Hazardous Substance Management (HSM), Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
⁵ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA.
⁶ Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Research Center for Environmental and Hazardous Substance Management, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand; Center of Excellence on Hazardous Substance Management (HSM), Bangkok 10330, Thailand. Electronic address: sumana.r@kku.ac.th.

PMID: 34775314
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127691

Abstract

Biochar is a low-cost adsorbent with considerable potential for utilization as a water filtration medium; however, organic matter leaching from biochar can lead to the formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs). This study investigated the leaching of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from eucalyptus-derived biochar and the formation of DBPs generated by chlorination and chloramination. Column experiments with empty bed contact times (EBCTs) of 10 and 30 min were conducted for 200 bed volumes (BVs). The highest DOC concentration (3.5 µg-C/g-biochar) was detected with an EBCT of 30 min. Chloroform (49 µg/L) and dichloroacetonitrile (7 µg/L) because of chlorination were found during the first five BVs, but were reduced thereafter. During the first 10 BVs, unknown chlorinated DBPs generated (CHOCl) by chlorination and chloramination (193 and 152 formulae, respectively) were tentatively identified via an unknown screening analysis. The release of DBP precursors from biochar tentatively identified in this study will impact water filtration applications.

Keywords: biochar; natural organic matter; non-regulated DBPs; non-target analysis; orbitrap mass spectrometry.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Charcoal
Disinfectants*
Disinfection
Dissolved Organic Matter
Halogenation
Mass Spectrometry
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis
Water Purification*

Substances

Disinfectants
Dissolved Organic Matter
Water Pollutants, Chemical
biochar
Charcoal