Removal of organic matter and disinfection by-products precursors in a hybrid process combining ozonation with ceramic membrane ultrafiltration

Abstract

The performance of an integrated process including coagulation, ozonation, ceramic ultrafiltration (UF) and biologic activated carbon (BAC) filtration was investigated for the removal of organic matter and disinfection by-products (DBPs) precursors from micro-polluted surface water. A pilot scale plant with the capacity of 120 m³ per day was set up and operated for the treatment of drinking water. Ceramic membranes were used with the filtration area of 50 m² and a pore size of 60 nm. Dissolved organic matter was divided into five fractions including hydrophobic acid (HoA), base (HoB) and neutral (HoN), weakly hydrophobic acid (WHoA) and hydrophilic matter (HiM) by DAX-8 and XAD-4 resins. The experiment results showed that the removal of organic matter was significantly improved with ozonation in advance. In sum, the integrated process removed 73% of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), 87% of UV₂₅₄, 77% of trihalomethane (THMs) precursors, 76% of haloacetic acid (HAAs) precursors, 83%of trichloracetic aldehyde (CH) precursor, 77% of dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN) precursor, 51% of trichloroacetonitrile (TCAN) precursor, 96% of 1,1,1-trichloroacetone (TCP) precursor and 63% of trichloronitromethane (TCNM) precursor. Hydrophobic organic matter was converted into hydrophilic organic matter during ozonation/UF, while the organic matter with molecular weight of 1000–3000 Da was remarkably decreased and converted into lower molecular weight organic matter ranged from 200–500 Da. DOC had a close linear relationship with the formation potential of DBPs.

Keywords

ceramic ultrafiltration(UF) / ozonation / organic matter / hydrophilic / hydrophobic / disinfection by-products

References

[1] Chen C, Zhang X, Zhu L, He W, Han H. Changes in different organic matter fractions during conventional treatment and advanced treatment. Journal of Environmental Sciences (China), 2011, 23(4): 582–586

[2] Du H, Xu Y. Determination of the microbial origin of geosmin in Chinese liquor. Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2012, 60(9): 2288–2292

[3] Chowdhury S, Champagne P, McLellan P J. Models for predicting disinfection byproduct (DBP) formation in drinking waters: a chronological review. Science of the Total Environment, 2009, 407(14): 4189–4206

[4] Lavonen E E, Gonsior M, Tranvik L J, Schmitt-Kopplin P, Köhler S J. Selective chlorination of natural organic matter: identification of previously unknown disinfection byproducts. Environmental Science & Technology, 2013, 47(5): 2264–2271

[5] Kim H, Dempsey B A. Membrane fouling due to alginate, SMP, EfOM, humic acid, and NOM. Journal of Membrane Science, 2013, 428: 190–197

[6] Sierka R A. An Energy Saving Process for the Reactivation of Activated Carbon Saturated with Organic Contaminants. In: Proceedings of NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Security of Industrial Water Supply and Management, Ankara, Turkey, 2010, 193–208

[7] von Gunten U. Ozonation of drinking water: Part I. Oxidation kinetics and product formation. Water Research, 2003, 37(7): 1443–1467

[8] Chiang P C, Chang E E, Liang C H. NOM characteristics and treatabilities of ozonation processes. Chemosphere, 2002, 46(6): 929–936

[9] Huang W J, Fang G C, Wang C C. The determination and fate of disinfection by-products from ozonation of polluted raw water. Science of the Total Environment, 2005, 345(1–3): 261–272

[10] Rigobello E S, Dantas A D B, Di Bernardo L, Vieira E M. Removal of diclofenac by conventional drinking water treatment processes and granular activated carbon filtration. Chemosphere, 2013, 92(2): 184–191

[11] Chen Z, Valentine R L. The influence of the pre-oxidation of natural organic matter on the formation of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). Environmental Science & Technology, 2008, 42(14): 5062–5067

[12] Harman B I, Koseoglu H, Yigit N O, Sayilgan E, Beyhan M, Kitis M. The removal of disinfection by-product precursors from water with ceramic membranes. Water Science and Technology, 2010, 62(3): 547–555

[13] Karnik B S, Davies S H R, Chen K C, Jaglowski D R, Baumann M J, Masten S J. Effects of ozonation on the permeate flux of nanocrystalline ceramic membranes. Water Research, 2005, 39(4): 728–734

[14] Karnik B S, Davies S H R, Baumann M J, Masten S J. Fabrication of catalytic membranes for the treatment of drinking water using combined ozonation and ultrafiltration. Environmental Science & Technology, 2005, 39(19): 7656–7661

[15] Schlichter B, Mavrov V, Chmiel H. Study of a hybrid process combining ozonation and membrane filtration-filtration of model solutions. Desalination, 2003, 156(1–3): 257–265

[16] Byun S, Davies S H R, Alpatova A L, Corneal L M, Baumann M J, Tarabara V V, Masten S J. Mn oxide coated catalytic membranes for a hybrid ozonation-membrane filtration: comparison of Ti, Fe and Mn oxide coated membranes for water quality. Water Research, 2011, 45(1): 163–170

[17] Sartor M, Schlichter B, Gatjal H, Mavrov V. Demonstration of a new hybrid process for the decentralised drinking and service water production from surface water in Thailand. Desalination, 2008, 222(1–3): 528–540

[18] Zhang X H, Guo J N, Wang L Y, Hu J Y, Zhu J. In situ ozonation to control ceramic membrane fouling in drinking water treatment. Desalination, 2013, 328: 1–7

[19] Fan X J, Tao Y, Wang L Y, Zhang X H, Lei Y, Wang Z, Noguchi H. Performance of integrated process combining ozonation with ceramic membrane ultra-filtration for advanced treatment of drinking water. Desalination, 2014, 335(1): 47–54

[20] Leenheer J A. Comprehensive approach to preparative isolation and fractionation of dissolved organic carbon from natural waters and wastewaters. Environmental Science & Technology, 1981, 15(5): 578–587

[21] Ma H, Allen H E, Yin Y. Characterization of isolated fractions of dissolved organic matter from natural waters and a wastewater effluent. Water Research, 2001, 35(4): 985–996

[22] Clesceri L S, Greenberg A E, Eaton A D. Standard Methods for Examination of Water & Wastewater, 20th ed. American Public Health Association, 1998

[23] Lei Y, Yasojima M, Wang L Y, Fan X J, Tao Y, Zhang X H. Determination of nine haloacetic acids in tap water by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. China Water and Wastewater, 2013, 29(20): 124–129 (in Chinese)

[24] Zhou Q H, Cabaniss S E, Maurice P A. Considerations in the use of high-pressure size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) for determining molecular weights of aquatic humic substances. Water Research, 2000, 34(1): 3505–3514

[25] Yang J, Yuan D, Weng T. Pilot study of drinking water treatment with GAC, O₃/BAC and membrane processes in Kinmen Island, Taiwan. Desalination, 2010, 263(1–3): 271–278

[26] Chowdhury S, Champagne P, McLellan P J. Models for predicting disinfection byproduct (DBP) formation in drinking waters: a chronological review. Science of the Total Environment, 2009, 407(14): 4189–4206

[27] Schlichter B, Mavrov V, Chmiel H. Study of a hybrid process combining ozonation and microfiltration/ultrafiltration for the drinking water production from surface water. Desalination, 2004, 168: 307–317

[28] Volk C, Renner P, Roche H, Paillard H, Joret J C. Effects of ozone on the production of biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) during water treatment. Ozone Science and Engineering, 1993, 15(5): 389–404

[29] Qiao L, Liu Y, Hudson S P, Yang P, Magner E, Liu B. A nanoporous reactor for efficient proteolysis. Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany), 2008, 14(1): 151–157

[30] Monteiro M J. Nanoreactors for polymerizations and organic reactions. Marcromolecules, 2010, 43(3): 1159–1168

Acknowledgements

This work has been supported by the National Grand Project “Water Pollution Control and Treatment Technology” (No.2008ZX07423-002) and Guangdong Science Foundation (No.2012B030800001).

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2014 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg