Fate and transport of wastewater-derived disinfection by-products in surface waters

Baiyang Chen, Paul Westerhoff, Stuart W. Krasner

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

Disinfection by-products (DBPs) discharged into surface waters from upstream wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) may result in occurrence of DBPs in downstream drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs). This article evaluates the effects of five biogeochemical mechanisms (biodegradation, photolysis, hydrolysis, volatilization, and adsorption) on the fate of several types of DBPs in surface waters that receive disinfected wastewater discharges. Pseudo-first order rate constants of the five mechanisms were obtained from literature reviews, laboratory experiments and/or quantitative structure-activity relationships. The dominant removal mechanism for each DBP class is: 1) volatilization for trihalomethanes (THMs), 2) biodegradation for dihalogenated haloacetic acids (HAAs), 3) hydrolysis for haloacetonitriles (HANs), and 4) photolysis for nitrosoamines (NAs), while adsorption of DBPs onto suspended solids is not important for all classes. The receiving waterbody geometry (width, depth), flowrate, and meteorological conditions are also important factors affecting the fate of DBPs.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationDisinfection By-Products in Drinking Water
Subtitle of host publicationOccurrence, Formation, Health Effects, and Control
PublisherAmerican Chemical Society
Pages257-273
Number of pages17
ISBN (Print)9780841269507
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 5 2008

Publication series

NameACS Symposium Series
Volume995
ISSN (Print)0097-6156
ISSN (Electronic)1947-5918

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Chemistry(all)
  • Chemical Engineering(all)

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