Disinfection Byproducts and Their Precursors in Drinking Water Sources:Origins,Influencing Factors,and Environmental Insights

Tracing the contamination origins in water sources and identifying the impacts of natural and human processes are essential for ecological safety and public health.However,current analysis approaches are not ideal,as they tend to be laborious,time-consuming,or technically difficult.Disinfection byproducts(DBPs)are a family of well-known secondary pollutants formed by the reactions of chemical disinfectants with DBP precursors during water disinfection treatment.Since DBP precursors have various origins(e.g.,natural,domestic,industrial,and agricultural sources),and since the formation of DBPs from different precursors in the presence of specific disinfectants is distinctive,we argue that DBPs and DBP precursors can serve as alternative indicators to assess the contamination in water sources and identify pollution origins.After providing a retrospective of the origins of DBPs and DBP precursors,as well as the specific formation patterns of DBPs from different precursors,this article presents an overview of the impacts of various natural and anthropogenic factors on DBPs and DBP precursors in drinking water sources.In practice,the DBPs(i.e.,their concentration and speciation)originally present in source water and the DBP precursors determined using DBP formation potential tests—in which water samples are dosed with a stoichiometric excess of specific disinfectants in order to maximize DBP formation under certain reaction conditions—can be considered as alternative metrics.When jointly used with other water quality parameters(e.g.,dissolved organic carbon,dissolved organic nitrogen,fluorescence,and molecular weight distribution)and specific contaminants of emerging concern(e.g.,certain pharmaceuticals and personal care products),DBPs and DBP precursors in drinking water sources can provide a more comprehensive picture of water pollution for better managing water resources and ensuring human health.

News: JES well represented at the recent Gordon Research Conference on Drinking Water Disinfection By-products

The Gordon Research Conference （GRC） on Drinking Water Disinfection By-products （DBPs） was recently held in Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts, United States, on July 30-August 4, 2017. The theme of this year＇s GRC on DBPs was ＂Disinfection 2100： Linking Engineering, Chemistry, Toxicology, and Epidemiology to Reduce Exposure to Toxicity Drivers while Curtailing Pathogens＂ （GRC, 2017）. More than one hundred and fifty scientists from around the world actively participated in the week-long conference.

Progress in Analytical Methods of Halogenated Disinfection By-Products

Ensuring the health and safety of drinking water is crucial for both nations and their citizens.Since the 20th century,the disinfection of drinking water,effectively controlling pathogens in water sources,has become one of the significant advances in public health.However,the disinfectants used in the process,such as chlorine and chlorine dioxide,react with natural organic matter in the water to produce disinfection by-products(DBPs).Most of these DBPs contain chlorine,and if the source water contains bromine or iodine,brominated or iodinated DBPs,collectively referred to as Halogenated disinfection byproducts(X-DBPs),are formed.Numerous studies have found that X-DBPs pose potential risks to human health and the environment,leading to widespread concern.Mass spectrometry has become an important means of discovering new types of X-DBPs.This paper focuses on the study of methods for analyzing X-DBPs in drinking water using mass spectrometry.

Design of Water Disinfection Scheme for Rural Drinking Water Safety Project

As further promotion of the rural drinking water safety project in whole country, small villages in vast countryside have been or will be equipped with safety drinking water project. We analyzed necessity of the rural drinking water disinfection, discussed disinfection method suitable for rural drinking water characteristics, and put forward disinfection schemes for different water supply sources.

Reduction of Precursors of Chlorination By-products in Drinking Water Using Fluidized-bed Biofilm Reactor at Low Temperature

Objective To investigate the reduction of chlorination by-products （CBPs） precursors using the fluidized-bed biofdm reactor （FBBR）. Methods Reduction of total organic carbon （TOC）, ultraviolet absorbance （UV254）, tfihalomethane （THM） formation potential （THMFP）, haloacetic acid （HAA） formation potential （HAAFP）, and ammonia in FBBR were evaluated in detail. Results The reduction of TOC or UV254 was low, on average 12.6% and 4.7%, respectively, while the reduction of THMFP and HAAFP was significant. The reduction of ammonia was 30%-40% even below 3℃, however, it could quickly rise to over 50% above 3℃. Conclusions The FBBR effectively reduces CBPs and ammonia in drinking water even at low temperature and seems to be a very promising and competitive drinking water reactor for polluted surface source waters, especially in China.

Removal of disinfection by-products formation potential by biologically intensified process

The removal of disinfection by-products formation potential(DBPFP) in artificially intensified biological activated carbon(IBAC) process which is developed on the basis of traditional ozone granular activated carbon was evaluated. By IBAC removals of 31% and 68% for THMFP and HAAFP were obtained respectively. Under identical conditions, the removals of the same substances were 4% and 32% respectively only by the granular activated carbon(GAC) process. Compared with GAC, the high removal rates of the two formed potential substances were due to the increasing of bioactivity of the media and the synergistic capabilities of biological degradation cooperating with activated carbon adsorption of organic compounds. A clear linear correlation(R 2=0.9562 and R 2=0.9007) between DOC HAAFP removal rate and Empty Bed Contact Time(EBCT) of IBAC process was observed, while that between THMFP removal rate and EBCT of GAC was R 2=0.9782. In addition certain linear correlations between THMFP, HAAFP and UV 254 (R 2=0.855 and R 2=0.7702) were found for the treated water. For IBAC process there are also more advantages such as long backwashing cycle time, low backwashing intensity and prolonging activated carbon lifetime and so on.

Identification of key precursors contributing to the formation of CX_(3)R-type disinfection by-products along the typical full-scale drinking water treatment processes

Identification and characterization of disinfection by-product(DBP)precursors could help optimize drinkingwater treatment processes and improve the quality of finishedwater.This study comprehensively investigated the characteristics of dissolved organic matter(DOM),the hydrophilicity and molecule weight(MW)of DBP precursor and DBP-associated toxicity along the typical full-scale treatment processes.The results showed that dissolved organic carbon and dissolved organic nitrogen content,the fluorescence intensity and the SUVA254 value in raw water significantly decreased after the whole treatment processes.Conventional treatment processes were in favor of the removal of high-MW and hydrophobic DOM,which are important precursors of trihalomethane and haloacetic acid.Compared with conventional treatment processes,Ozone integrated with biological activated carbon(O3-BAC)processes enhanced the removal efficiencies of DOM with different MW and hydrophobic fractions,leading to a further decrease in almost all DBP formation potential and DBP-associated toxicity.However,almost 50%of the detected DBP precursors in raw water has not been removed after the coagulation-sedimentation-filtration integrated with O3-BAC advanced treatment processes.These remaining precursors were found to be mainly hydrophilic and low-MW(<1.0 kDa)organics.Moreover,they would largely contribute to the formation of haloacetaldehydes and haloacetonitriles,which dominated the calculated cytotoxicity.Since current drinking water treatment process could not effectively control the highly toxic DBPs,the removal of hydrophilic and low-MW organics in drinking water treatment plants should be focused on in the future.

Occurrence of Haloacetic Acids in Drinking Water in Certain Cities of China

Objective Since haloacetic acids (HAAs), which are nonvolatile and of high carcinogenic risk, are common species of chlorinated disinfection by-products(DBPs) in drinking water, and little has been known in China, it is necessary to make a survey about the kinds and levels of HAAs in drinking water of the nation. Method HAAs were analyzed using gas chromatography with electron capture detector(GC/ECD) and relatively complex pretreatment process of sample was applied. Five main cities in different areas of China were chosen in the survey. Results Studies showed that the main species of HAAs in drinking water in China were DCAA and TCAA, ranging from 0.4 礸/L to 12.85 礸/L and from 0.56 礸/L to 10.98 礸/L, respectively. MBAA and DBAA were also detected in one city, ranging from 2.20 礸/L to 4.95 礸/L and 1.10 礸/L to 2.81 礸/L, respectively. Therefore, the contents of HAAs varied, usually no more than 25 礸/L. Based on the acquired data to date, it is known that the concentrations of HAAs in drinking water in China were surely under the limits of Sanitary Standard for Drinking Water Quality (China, 2001). Conclusion A wider survey of HAAs in drinking water should be conducted throughout the nation to get adequate data and information, the ultimate aim of which is to control HAAs pollution and keep the balance between microbiological safety insurance and chemical risk control, minimize the formation of DBPs and ensure the safety of water supply at the same time.

A Study on the Microbial Quality of Drinking Water in Rural Areas of Mazandaran Province in North of Iran (2011)

Backgrounds: One of the fundamental needs of a community is to have an access to healthy and safe drinking water. The lack of a concentrated accessibility to health facilities and services is among the serious problems facing villagers in the rural areas. The aims of this research was to investigate the drinking water quality of the villages in Babol township suburbs in north of Iran. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, a total of 140 water samples were taken from the water distribution network in16 villages for the low and high-rain seasons in sterile glass bottle. The microbial quality of gathered samples were determined based on standard methods in laboratory. Statistical analysis of the results was performed using a SPSS16 statistical software. Findings: Based on obtained results 13.6% of the samples were contaminated to coliform and 20% to fecal coliform bacteria. The residual chlorine in 12.5% of the samples were between 0.2 to 0.8 mg·L-1 and the PH in total samples were between 6.8 to 7.8. There were no signs of any contamination for 32.86% of the analysed samples which water resources is located to a distance of more than 30 m to the contamination sources. In addition, 43.1% of the samples taken from the water resources with no plumbing system, have had a fecal contamination. Conclusions: Considering the results achieved, the microbial quality of the drinking water of the studied villages classified as “moderate” status. For more water supply there is not sufficient residual chlorine in most cases. Poor sanitation of water supply is most causes of water contamination. It is therefore strongly recommended that sanitation measures are made to protect water resources from the contamination.

Combination of chlorine and magnetic ion exchange resin for drinking water treatment of algae

The effectiveness of a magnetic ion exchange resin(MIEX) for the treatment of Hongze Lake water in China was evaluated.The kinetics of natural organic matter(NOM) removal at various MIEX doses and contact time,multiple-loading experiments,impacts of MIEX prior to coagulation on coagulant demands and the effectiveness of combination of MIEX,pre-chlorination and coagulation were investigated.Kinetic experimental results show that more than 80%UV254 and 67%dissolved organic carbon(DOC) from raw water can be removed by the use of MIEX alone.94%sulfate,69%nitrate and 98%bromide removals are obtained after the first use of MIEX in multiple-loading experiments.It is suggested that MIEX can be loaded up to 1 250 bed volume(BV,volume ratio of tested water to resin) or more without saturation when regarding organics removal as a target. MIEX can remove organics to a greater extend than coagulation and lower the coagulant demand when combining with coagulation. Chlorination experimental results show that MIEX can remove 57%chlorine demand and 77%trihalomethane formation potential(THMFP) for raw water.Pre-chlorination followed by MIEX and coagulation can give additional organic and THMFP removals.The results suggest that MIEX provides a new method to solve the problem algae reproduction.

Comparative Analysis of Chemical, Physical and Biological Contaminants in Drinking Water in Various Developed Countries around the World

Sustaining a reliable and contaminant-free drinking water is becoming an increasing challenge worldwide due to human activity, industrial waste, and agricultural overuse. Surface water is the main source of drinking water around the world. However, groundwater is also becoming increasingly popular, due to its clarity and minimal need for processing to reduce turbidity. Over the years, the demand and growth in the agricultural industry has also been the means of groundwater contamination. Due to the health burden that raw water can pose, water must be processed and purified prior to consumption. Raw water quality can be compromised by physical, chemical (heavy metals and disinfection by-products), and biological contaminants. Biological contaminants can significantly impact immunocompromised populations, while chemical contaminants can impact the growth and development of young children. Although obtaining a steady and high-quality water flow to the general population is an increasing challenge, developed countries have utilized state-of-the-art technologies and techniques to provide contaminant-free water to their citizens. This research aims to provide information about the regulatory parameters, characteristics, and sources of safe drinking water in the world as a model for future use in the developing world. In this, secondary data was used to compare and contrast drinking water quality among countries in the European Union, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The data indicates that Ireland and the United Kingdom have relatively lower amounts of contaminants in their drinking water. Upon completing this research, it is recommended that countries desiring clean drinking water systems should initiate and invest in programs that control and protect treatment plants, water distribution systems, water sources, and catchments.

Low-Cost Sustainable Technologies for the Production of Clean Drinking Water—A Review

Water has always been an important and life-sustaining drink to humans and is essential to the survival of all known organisms. Over large parts of the world, humans have inadequate access to drinking water and use water contaminated with disease vectors, pathogens or unacceptable levels of toxins or suspended solids. Drinking such water or using it in food preparation leads to widespread, acute and chronic illnesses and is a major cause of death and misery in many countries. The UN estimates that over 2.0 billion people have limited access to safe water and nearly 800 million people lack even the most basic supply of clean water. The main issue is the affordability of water purifying systems. Many people rely on boiling water or bottled water, which can be expensive. Therefore, technologies that are cost effective, sustainable, ease of operation/maintenance and the treatment processes with locally available materials are required. In this article, some unique low-cost sustainable technologies available/or in-use, i.e. natural filtration, riverbank filtration, biosand filtration, membrane filtration, solar water disinfection technique, biologically degradable materials such as moringa powder, scallop powder treatment, and biosand pitcher treatments have been discussed.

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.

Disinfection By-Products in Drinking Water, Recycled Water and Wastewater： Formation, Detection, Toxicity and Health Effects： Preface

The disinfection of drinking water was an outstanding（and perhaps the most important）public health achievement of the 20^（th） century.According to the United Nations World Health Organization,

The variation of DOM during long distance water transport by the China South to North Water Diversion Scheme and impact on drinking water treatment

In this study,samples were taken from three locations,upstream to downstream,along the central route project of the China South to North Water Diversion(SNWD)scheme in summer and winter.These were used to reveal the variations of dissolved organic matter(DOM)during the water transfer process,and the effects of these variations on drinking water treatment and disinfection by-products formation potential(DBPs-FP).The results showed that polysaccharides accumulate in summer and reduce in winter with flow distance,which has an important effect on the overall properties of DOM,as well as on the performance of coagulation,ultrafiltration,and the formation of DBPs.Humic substances,and their hydrophilic content,also increased in summer and decreased in winter with flow distance.In contrast,the concentration of small organic substances(MW≤1000 Da)increased in both summer and winter with flow distance,which affected both nanofiltration(NF)membrane fouling and DBPs-FP.The results provide a useful case study of spatial and temporal changes in raw water DOM during long distance water transfer and their impact on the treatment and quality of drinking water from the SNWD.

Testing the Efficiency of Acacia Bark (Galool-Asal) as Disinfectant for Polluted Waters

Acacia bark efficiency for disinfecting polluted water for the purpose of using it for drinking purposes was tested. Five polluted water samples were collected from different locations in Jordan, namely, King Abdullah Canal, an Agricultural pond in the Jordan Valley, Yajouz wells, Hazeir spring, and Wadi-Seer spring. Different volumes of the water samples were treated with 10 g of the shredded acacia bark (obtained from Somalia) for different retention times. The volumes used were 1 L, 2.5 L, and 5 L and the detention times were 2, 4, and 24 hours. The samples were tested for total coliform, E. coli, electrical conductivity, pH, total dissolved solids, turbidity and color before and after treatment with the acacia bark. Results revealed that the optimum conditions for disinfection were: 1 L polluted water treated with 10 g acacia bark for 24 hours. Log removals of about 2.5 for E. coli were obtained under these conditions. Higher removals could be achieved by using larger amounts of the acacia bark, but the chemical water quality regarding turbidity and color will not be suitable for drinking purposes and levels of tannic acids present in the acacia bark might reach toxic levels. Toxic levels will not be reached if 1 glass of water/kg body weight every 4 - 5 hours daily is consumed.

Bacteria inactivation by sulfate radical:progress and non-negligible disinfection by-products

Sulfate radicals have been increasingly used for the pathogen inactivation due to their strong redox ability and high selectivity for electron-rich species in the last decade.The application of sulfate radicals in water disinfection has become a very promising technology.However,there is currently a lack of reviews of sulfate radicals inactivated pathogenic microorganisms.At the same time,less attention has been paid to disinfection by-products produced by the use of sulfate radicals to inactivate microorganisms.This paper begins with a brief overview of sulfate radicals’properties.Then,the progress in water disinfection by sulfate radicals is summarized.The mechanism and inactivation kinetics of inactivating microorganisms are briefly described.After that,the disinfection by-products produced by reactions of sulfate radicals with chlorine,bromine,iodide ions and organic halogens in water are also discussed.In response to these possible challenges,this article concludes with some specific solutions and future research directions.

Health Risk Assessment of Employees Exposed to Chlorination By-products of Recreational Water in Large Amusement Parks in Shanghai

Objective Chlorination is often used to disinfect recreational water in large amusement parks;however,the health hazards of chlorination disinfection by-products(DBPs)to occupational populations are unknown.This study aimed to assess the exposure status of chlorinated DBPs in recreational water and the health risks to employees of large amusement parks.Methods Exposure parameters of employees of three large amusement parks in Shanghai were investigated using a questionnaire.Seven typical chlorinated DBPs in recreational water and spray samples were quantified by gas chromatography,and the health risks to amusement park employees exposed to chlorinated DBPs were evaluated according to the WHO's risk assessment framework.Results Trichloroacetic acid,dibromochloromethane,bromodichloromethane,and dichloroacetic acid were detected predominantly in recreational water.The carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of the five DBPs did not exceed the risk thresholds.In addition,the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of mixed exposure to DBPs were within the acceptable risk limits.Conclusion Typical DBPs were widely detected in recreational water collected from three large amusement parks in Shanghai;however,the health risks of DBPs and their mixtures were within acceptable limits.

Enhanced removal of organic matter and typical disinfection byproduct precursors in combined iron–carbon micro electrolysis-UBAF process for drinking water pre-treatment

The organic matter and two types of disinfection byproduct(DBP) precursors in micropolluted source water were removed using an iron–carbon micro-electrolysis(ICME)combined with up-flow biological aerated filter(UBAF) process. Two pilot-scale experiments(ICME-UBAF and UBAF alone) were used to investigate the effect of the ICME system on the removal of organic matter and DBP precursors. The results showed that ICME pretreatment removed 15.6% of dissolved organic matter(DOM)and significantly improved the removal rate in the subsequent UBAF process. The ICME system removed 31% of trichloromethane(TCM) precursors and 20% of dichloroacetonitrile(DCAN) precursors. The results of measurements of the molecular weight distribution and hydrophilic fractions of DOM and DBP precursors showed that ICME pretreatment played a key role in breaking large-molecular-weight organic matter into low-molecular-weight components, and the hydrophobic fraction into hydrophilic compounds, which was favorable for subsequent biodegradation by UBAF.Three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy(3D-EEM) further indicated that the ICME system improved the removal of TCM and DCAN precursors. The biomass analysis indicated the presence of a larger and more diverse microbial community in the ICME-UBAF system than for the UBAF alone. The high-throughput sequencing results revealed that domination of the genera Sphingomonas, Brevundimonas and Sphingorhabdus contributed to the better removal of organic matter and two types of DBP precursors. Also, Nitrosomonas and Pseudomonas were beneficial for ammonia removal.

2020—2022年苏州市生活饮用水中消毒副产物监测结果分析

为了解江苏省苏州市生活饮用水中消毒副产物(Disinfection By-Products,DBPs)的污染情况,为饮用水安全管理提供依据,按照《生活饮用水标准检验方法》(GB/T 5750—2023),2020—2022年共采集苏州市生活饮用水样852份,其中出厂水276份、末梢水396份、二次供水180份,对水样中12种DBPs进行检测,依据《生活饮用水卫生标准》(GB/T 5749—2022)进行评价。结果表明,除1,2-二氯乙烷、四氯化碳外,苏州市生活饮用水中其他DBPs均有检出,但均在限值标准内,水样的总体合格率为100%;不同类型水样DBPs浓度和检出率差异不显著(P>0.05)。这表明苏州市生活饮用水总体情况较好,但相关部门应仍需加强DBPs监测,做好其健康风险评估工作,为生活饮用水健康风险管理提供科学支撑。