Date palm kernel-based GAC and its dynamic modeling of residual chlorine breakthrough curve in multimedia filter

First, the date palm kernel is used to produce granular activated carbon （GAC） by a physiochemical activation process. The process involves six steps： washing, drying, crushing, sieving, carbonization, and activation. Secondly, the ability of the produced GAC to remove pollutants is examined through batch experiments of residual chlorine adsorption whereas the equilibrium isotherm experimental data are tested for the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms equations. Thirdly, the experimental and theoretical study of dynamic adsorption process and the effect of major operating parameters on dynamic adsorption are investigated. The results show that the Langmuir isotherm gives the best fitting to experimental data, which indicates that the residual chlorine adsorption can be characterized by mono layer adsorption behavior. The produced GAC has a great potential as an adsorbent for residual chlorine in water systems and it can compete favorably with the conventional adsorbents. The Thomas extended model with combined mass transfer resistances is used for verifying the experimental results and the results show that the proposed model coincides well with the experimental data of the dynamic adsorption process.

Modeling of residual chlorine in water distribution system

Water quality within water distribution system may vary with both location and time. Water quality models are used to predict the spatial and temporal variation of water quality throughout water system. A model of residual chlorine decay in water pipe has been developed, given the consumption of chlorine in reactions with chemicals in bulk water, bio films on pipe wall, in corrosion process, and the mass transport of chlorine from bulk water to pipe wall. Analytical methods of the flow path from water sources to the observed point and the water age of every observed node were proposed. Model is used to predict the decay of residual chlorine in an actual distribution system. Good agreement between calculated and measured values was obtained.

The decay kinetics of residual chlorine in cooling seawater simulation experiments

To find out the decay character of residual chlorine （RC） in the sea water, the concentration of RC was analyzed by N, N-diethyl-p-phenylenediamine （DPD） method under different simulation experimental conditions, in which salinity, temperature, and Chemical Oxygen Demand （COD） were selected. The water used in the experiment was the mixture of aging ocean water, coastal water and extracting solution of coastal sediment at appropriate level. Results are shown as follows： （1） Piecewise function can well reflect the decay dynamics of RC in the cooling seawater. Concretely, the decay dynamics of first 1 min is too rapid to ascertain using a specific kinetic function, and that of the time from 1 to 30 min is fit for the first-order kinetic model. （2） The results could be the foundation of the chemical behavior of RC in seawater, and be used as not only the guidance of the coastal power plants production and sea water desalting companies, but also the establishment of the correlative trade standard.

Effects of residual chlorine on the mortality, grazing and respiration of Labidocera euchaeta (Copepoda)

In this study,the authors investigated the effects of residual chlorine on mortality,grazing and respiration of Labidocera euchaeta in laboratory.The grazing rate was evaluated by subtraction method of food concentration and respiration rate was measured using oxygen electrode.It was found that the lethal effect of residual chlorine on L.euchaeta increased with enhanced concentration and prolonged duration.The medium lethal concentration （LC 50 ） of chlorine for L.euchaeta in 24 h was about 0.58 mg/L and the safe concentration was about 0.21 mg/L.However,the grazing and respiration of L.euchaeta decreased by 32.6% and 18.9% when exposed to 0.2 mg/L residual chlorine for 4 h.It indicated that the physiological activities of zooplankton could be suppressed by the residual chlorine less than the safety concentration.Therefore,both survival and physiological activities of the organisms living in the thermal （nuclear） power plant discharging waters should be considered when carrying out the ecological risks assessment.

Antimicrobial Resistant Coliforms in Tap Water with Low Free Residual Chlorine Levels in Two Hospitals: Case Study in Gaza, Palestine

Universal access to safe water, whether at households or health centres, is central to achieving the sixth sustainable development goal by 2030. A hospital-based survey was conducted to screen for antimicrobial resistance among coliforms in samples collected from tap water (n = 54) at surgical wards in Gaza and to investigate the association with free residual chlorine and pH levels. Total coliforms (TC) were detected in 48.1% (26/54) of tested samples and FCs were detected in 25.9% (14/54). Free residual chlorine test ranged from zero to 0.2 mg/l (average: 0.08 mg/l), of which more than half of the samples (53.7%) 29/54 showed no free residual chlorine. The mean value of free residual chlorine in samples tested positive for growth on m-Endo (0.03) was lower than the mean for negative samples (0.14). The pH values were within the acceptable range (average: 7.6) and there was a statistically significant variation between the mean of pH values for samples tested positive on m-Endo (7.29) and that tested negative (7.84). Among coliform positive samples, 23.1% (6/26) had coliform isolates with resistance patterns. More than two-thirds of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) isolates were resistant to amikacin, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, and imipenem. Moreover, 50% of the isolates were resistant to piperacillin-tazobactam. One-third (33.3%) of isolates were resistant to cefoxitin, and fosfomycin, 16.7% were resistant to ciprofloxacin, and nitrofurantoin. Intermediate resistance was shown in 16.7% of the isolates to cefoxitin and ciprofloxacin. The ESBL and carbapenem resistance genes detected in isolates were TEM (66.7%), NDM (33.3%), OXA (25%), blaCTXM (16.7%), and blaCTXM-3 (16.7%). The finding highlighted the level of contamination with AMR coliform in samples collected from tap water and pointed out the importance of managing water safety through identifying the main source of contamination, in addition to maintaining proper water disinfection at healthcare facilities for the patient, staff and environmental safety.

Treatment, residual chlorine and season as factors affecting variability of trihalomethanes in small drinking water systems

Seasonal variability in source water can lead to challenges for drinking water providers related to operational optimization and process control in treatment facilities. The objective of this study is to investigate seasonal variability of water quality in municipal small water systems （〈 3000 residents） supplied by surface waters. Residual chlorine and trihalomethanes （THM） were measured over seven years （2003-2009）. Comparisons are made within each system over time, as well as between systems according to the type of their treatment technologies. THM concentrations are generally higher in the summer and autumn. The seasonal variability was generally more pronounced in systems using chlorination plus additional treatment. Chloroform, total THM （TTHM） and residual chlorine concentrations were generally lower in systems using chlorination plus additional treatment. Conversely, brominated THM concentrations were higher in systems using additional treatment. Residual chlorine was highest in the winter and lowest in the spring and summer. Seasonal variations were most pronounced for residual chlorine in systems with additional treatment. There was generally poor correlation between THM concentrations and concentrations of residual chlorine. Further study with these data will be beneficial in finding determinants and indicators for both quantity and variability of disinfection byproducts and other water quality parameters.

Factors Affecting Bacterial Growth in Drinking Water Distribution System

Objective To define the influence of some parameters, including assimilable organic carbon (AOC), chloramine residual, etc. on the bacterial growth in drinking water distribution systems. Methods Three typical water treatment plants in a northern city (City T) of China and their corresponding distribution systems were investigated. Some parameters of the water samples, such as heterotrophic plate content (HPC), AOC, CODMn, TOC, and phosphate were measured. Results The AOC in most water samples were more than 100 μg/L, or even more than 200 μg/L in some cases. The HPC in distribution systems increased significantly with the decrease of residual chlorine. When the residual chlorine was less than 0.1 mg/L, the magnitude order of HPC was 104 CFU/mL; when it was 0.5-0.7 mg/L, the HPC was about 500 CFU/mL. Conclusion For controlling the biostability of drinking water, the controlling of AOC and residual chlorine should be considered simultaneously. The influence of phosphors on the AOC tests of water is not significant. Phosphors may not be the limiting nutrient in the water distribution systems.

Iron stability in drinking water distribution systems in a city of China

A field study on the estimation and analysis of iron stability in drinking water distribution system was carried out in a city of China. The stability of iron ion was estimated by pC-pH figure. It was found that iron ion was unstable, with a high Fe （OH）3 precipitation tendency and obvious increase in turbidity. The outer layer of the corrosion scale was compact, while the inner core was porous. The main composition of the scale was iron, and the possible compound constitutes of the outer scale were α-FeOH, γ-FeOOH, α-Fe2O3, γ-F2O3, FeCl3, while the inner were Fe3O4, FeCl2, FeCO3. According to the characteristics of the corrosion scale, it was thought that the main reason for iron instability was iron release from corrosion scale. Many factors such as pipe materials, dissolved oxygen and chlorine residual affect iron release. Generally, higher iron release occurred with lower dissolved oxygen or chlorine residual concentration, while lower iron release occurred with higher dissolved oxygen or chlorine residual concentration. The reason was considered that the passivated out layer of scale of ferric oxide was broken down by reductive reaction in a condition of low oxidants concentration, which would result more rapid corrosion of the nine and red water phenomenon.

Variability of micropollutants and microorganisms in water distribution system

The variation of water quality in water distribution system was investigated with assimilable organic carbon (AOC)and trihalomethanes(THMs) used as assessment indexes. Bacterium was identified in water distribution. The result showed that there were pathogenic parasites in water distribution system. The variation of AOC is related to chlorine residual and bacterium activity, and AOC concentration decreased first and then increased with the extension of water distribution system. The formation of THMs was related to the consumption of chlorine inside the distribution system, and THMs concentration increased with the extension of water pipe line.

The Spatial Distribution of Nitrite Concentrations in a Large Drinking Water Distribution System in Finland

Nitrite in drinking water is a potential health hazard and monitoring its concentrations in distributed water is of paramount importance. When monochloramine is used in secondary disinfection in drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs), nitrite is often formed by nitrification in the biofilm on the inner surface of distribution pipes. This article attempts to identify areas with a risk of increased nitrite concentrations as well as the main reasons leading to nitrite occurrence in a large urban DWDS in Finland using spatial inspection of obligatory monitoring data. Nitrification was found to occur throughout the study area, though nitrite was not increased everywhere. Instead, nitrite was increased close to the water treatment plants (WTPs) and was connected to fresh drinking water than stagnant drinking water. Temperature effects on nitrite concentrations were surprisingly insignificant, even though it is well known that nitrification reactions are affected by temperature. The temperature dependence of ammonium and total residual chlorine was more significant than the dependence of nitrite. The findings of this study emphasize the need to monitor nitrite concentrations close to WTPs.

Characterization of CeO_(2)microspheres fabricated by an ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method

CeO_(2) is one of the main catalysts for solid oxide fuel cell(SOFC).It is critical to find a green and costeffective fabrication method for CeO_(2) at scale.In this study,the CeO_(2) microspheres were prepared by one-step ultrasonic spray pyrolysis of cerium chloride solution at700℃.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and transmission electron microscopy(TEM)study demonstrate that the prepared CeO_(2) microspheres exhibit a particle size of0.01-1.08μm with a mean particle size of 0.23μm,and more than 94%of the particles have a diameter less than0.5μm.But the presence of residual Cl in the fabricated CeO_(2) microspheres blocks the active sites and leads to the significant degradation of SOFC performance.The formation mechanism and distribution of residual Cl in the fabricated CeO_(2) microspheres were systemic ally studied.The water washing method was shown to effectively reduce the residual Cl in the CeO_(2) microspheres.Overall,this work provides a clean manufacturing process for the preparation of SOFC electrode/electrolyte materials.

A survey on heavy metal concentrations in residential neighborhoods: The influence of secondary water supply systems

Water quality deterioration often occurs in secondary water supply systems(SWSSs), and increased heavy metal concentrations can be a serious problem. In this survey, twelve residential neighborhoods were selected to investigate the influence of SWSSs on the seasonal changes in heavy metal concentrations from input water to tank and tap water. The concentrations of nine evaluated heavy metals in all groups of water samples were found to be far below the specified standard levels in China. The concentrations of Fe, Mn, and Zn increased significantly from the input water samples to the tank and tap water samples in spring and summer( p < 0.05), especially for the water samples that had been stagnant for a long time. Negative correlations were found between most of the heavy metals and residual chlorine(Fe, Cu, Zn, and As, r =-0.186 to-0.519, p < 0.05). In particular, a high negative correlation was observed between Fe and residual chlorine( r =-0.489 to-0.519, p < 0.01) in spring and summer. Fe and Mn displayed positive correlations with turbidity( r = 0.672 and 0.328, respectively;p < 0.05). In addition, Cr and As were found to be positively associated with some nutrients(NO, TN, and SO;r = 0.420-0.786, p < 0.01). The material of the storage tanks had little influence on the difference in heavy metal concentrations. Overall, this survey illustrated that SWSSs may pose a chronic threat to water quality and could provide useful information for practitioners.