Drinking water disinfection by-products detection, formation and the precursors removal study

Haloacetic acids (HAAs) and trihalomethanes (THMs) are two groups of commonly found disinfection by-products (DBPs). Iodinated THMs and HAAs were observed after disinfection of water containing high level of iodide and are proved to be more toxic than their corresponding chlorinated and brominated species. In the presented dissertation, a novel rapid and sensitive high performance ion chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPIC-MS/MS) method has been developed for simultaneous analysis of all these HAAs, bromate, bromide, iodide, and iodate, seventeen compounds in total, without any tedious sample preparation. Besides an efficient analytical method for the detection of DBPs, seeking for a green disinfectant with a low formation of DBPs is necessary. Peracetic acid (PAA) has been demonstrated to be a possible green disinfectant that has the potential to reduce the formation of THMs, HAAs and other DBPs. The formation potential of HAAs and THMs, especially the iodinated forms, from PAA disinfection has been investigated and compared with that from FC treatment. Another efficient way to control DBPs is to remove their precursors. When using breakpoint chlorination to disinfect the source water containing high concentration of ammonia, high levels of THMs and HAAs will form. In addition, if N-nitrosamine precursors are present, highly toxic N-nitrosamines may form during water treatment process. In the third part of this dissertation, zeolites and activated carbon were examined for ammonia and N-nitrosamine precursors removal when incorporated into drinking water treatment processes --Abstract, page iv