Novel Ion-Exchange Coagulants Remove More Low Molecular Weight Organics than Traditional Coagulants

Low molecular weight (MW) charged organic matter is poorly removed by conventional coagulants but contributes to disinfection byproduct formation during chlorination of drinking waters. We hypothesized that CIEX, a new Al-based hybrid coagulant with ion-exchange functional groups, would be new mechanistic approach to remove low MW organic matter during coagulation and would perform better than polyaluminum chloride (PACl) or metal-salt based coagulants. We measured coagulation performance using dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in a high hardness surface water. CIEX achieved excellent turbidity removal and removed 20% to 46% more DOC than FeCl₃, Al₂(SO₄)₃, or PACl, depending on dose. The improved DOC removal was attributable to better removal of low MW organic matter (<2 kDa). We further studied removal mechanisms in a model water containing a low MW organic acid (salicylic acid (SA)). CIEX achieved high removal of organic acids (>90% of SA) independent of pH, whereas removal by metal salts was lower (<15%) and was strongly pH dependent. CIEX ion-exchange capability is facilitated by its covalently bound quaternary ammonium group, which conventional coagulants lack. Plus, unlike other cationic polymers that react with chloramines to form N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), CIEX has a low molar yield (9.3 × 10^-7 mol NDMA per mol CIEX-N). (Chemical Equation Presented).