Occurrence of selected aliphatic amines in source water of major cities in China

The formation of toxic nitrogenous disinfection byproducts (N-DBPs), such as nitrosamines, halonitromethanes and haloacetonitriles, from reactions between chlorine/chloramine and dissolved organic nitrogen in drinking water has caused great concern with regarding public health. This study revealed the occurrence of 17 aliphatic amines, some of which have been confirmed to be the precursors of N-DBPs, in source water across China. A sensitive method based on benzenesulfonyl chloride derivatization and liquid-liquid extraction followed by GC-MS analysis was established for the simultaneous analysis of the selected amines in aqueous samples. In total, 37 source water samples from the capital cities of 20 provinces were collected for the survey. Among the 17 amines, 14 were detected with an average frequency of detection of 36%. The most relevant amines in terms of frequency and maximum concentrations detected were dimethylamine (100%, 24.82 μg/L), methylamine (78%, 0.92 μg/L), N-methylethylamine (70%, 8.84 μg/L), propylamine (59%, 10.69 μg/L), diethylamine (54%, 3.76 μg/L), N-methylbutylamine (35%, 3.07 μg/L), N-ethylpropylamine (35%, 0.52 μg/L), and piperidine (32%, 2.35 μg/L). This is the first large scale survey of the aliphatic amines occurrence in source water in the world. The wide presence of nitrosamine precursors like dimethylamine, N-methylethylamine and diethylamine, and the precursors of haloacetonitriles and halonitromethanes like methylamine and propylamine suggests that better source water management is required to ensure the safety of drinking water.     

溶解性有机氮乙酰胺氯化生成饮用水THMs的影响因素研究

氯化消毒可以有效杀灭细菌,但同时会产生危害人体健康的消毒副产物(DBPs).溶解性有机氮(DON)是DBPs的重要前体物,为考察DON对THMs的影响,首次选取乙酰胺(AcAm)作为前体物DON的代表物质,采用Plackett-Burman和Box-Behnken方法设计试验,考察了AcAm初始浓度、加氯量、pH、温度、溴离子浓度和反应时间等因素对三卤甲烷(THMs)生成的影响.结果表明,在AcAm生成THMs的过程中,AcAm初始浓度、pH和反应温度3个因素的影响程度较小,溴离子、有效氯和反应时间3因素的影响较大,其中溴离子的影响最为显著.溴离子浓度一定时,改变有效氯的含量,生成的THMs总量变化不大,溴离子对THMs的生成有一定的催化作用,控制溴离子的浓度是减少AcAm生成THMs的有效措施.在有效氯为8.77 mg/Ｌ、溴离子为0.77 mg/Ｌ及接触时间为6.20 h的条件下,THMs存在最大生成量为45.82 μg/L.随着反应时间的推移,溴分配系数n呈上升趋势,控制消毒反应时间,是减少THMs致癌风险的有效方法.同时探讨了AcAm生成THMs的反应路径,表述了溴离子的催化作用机制.     

J市饮用水氯消毒副产物分析及其健康风险评价

J市位于太湖下游,其水源水质受上游和自身工农业发展的影响,有机物和氨氮浓度较高,氯消毒副产物及其引发的健康风险广泛受到关注.2012年5、8、10月以及2013年1月采样,使用气相色谱法分析了J市饮用水中4种三卤甲烷和5种卤乙酸的含量,发现自来水中三卤甲烷浓度占三卤甲烷与卤乙酸总和的88.1%以上,5月、8月和次年1月浓度较高(分别为39.34、50.37和28.02μg.L-1),10月浓度(19.19μg.L-1)较低,远高于卤乙酸的浓度(2.58～4.02μg.L-1).自来水煮沸3min后,三卤甲烷可去除92.3%以上,但卤乙酸会大幅度增加.基于EPA推荐的健康风险评价模型对经口摄取途径时氯消毒副产物的致癌和非致癌风险进行计算,发现化学致癌物质的健康风险为3.1×10-6～7.3×10-6,高于可接受风险水平1×10-6;煮沸后致癌物质的健康风险大幅度降低至7.9×10-7,低于可接受风险水平.煮沸后非致癌氯消毒副产物的健康风险由2.1×10-11显著升高至3.4×10-9,未超过10-5的风险管理参考值.     

Method to assess component contribution to toxicity of complex mixtures: Assessment of puberty acquisition in rats exposed to disinfection byproducts

A method based on regression modeling was developed to discern the contribution of component chemicals to the toxicity of highly complex, environmentally realistic mixtures of disinfection byproducts(DBPs). Chemical disinfection of drinking water forms DBP mixtures.Because of concerns about possible reproductive and developmental toxicity, a whole mixture(WM) of DBPs produced by chlorination of a water concentrate was administered as drinking water to Sprague–Dawley(S–D) rats in a multigenerational study. Age of puberty acquisition,i.e., preputial separation(PPS) and vaginal opening(VO), was examined in male and female offspring, respectively. When compared to controls, a slight, but statistically significant delay in puberty acquisition was observed in females but not in males. WM-induced differences in the age at puberty acquisition were compared to those reported in S–D rats administered either a defined mixture(DM) of nine regulated DBPs or individual DBPs. Regression models were developed using individual animal data on age at PPS or VO from the DM study. Puberty acquisition data reported in the WM and individual DBP studies were then compared with the DM models. The delay in puberty acquisition observed in the WM-treated female rats could not be distinguished from delays predicted by the DM regression model, suggesting that the nine regulated DBPs in the DM might account for much of the delay observed in the WM. This method is applicable to mixtures of other types of chemicals and other endpoints.     

Formation and speciation of disinfection byproducts during chlor(am)ination of aquarium seawater

The chemistry associated with the disinfection of aquarium seawater is more complicated than that of freshwater, therefore limited information is available on the formation and speciation of disinfection byproducts(DBPs) in marine aquaria. In this study, the effects of organic precursors, bromide(Br-) and pre-ozonation on the formation and speciation of several typical classes of DBPs, including trihalomethanes(THM4), haloacetic acids(HAAs),iodinated trihalomethanes(I-THMs), and haloacetamides(HAc Ams), were investigated during the chlorination/chloramination of aquarium seawater. Results indicate that with an increase in dissolved organic carbon concentration from 4.5 to 9.4 mg/L, the concentrations of THM4 and HAAs increased by 3.2–7.8 times under chlorination and by 1.1–2.3 times under chloramination. An increase in Br-concentration from 3 to 68 mg/L generally enhanced the formation of THM4, I-THMs and HAc Ams and increased the bromine substitution factors of all studied DBPs as well, whereas it impacted insignificantly on the yield of HAAs. Pre-ozonation with 1 mg/L O3 dose substantially reduced the formation of all studied DBPs in the subsequent chlorination and I-THMs in the subsequent chloramination. Because chloramination produces much lower amounts of DBPs than chlorination, it tends to be more suitable for disinfection of aquarium seawater.     

Levels and risk assessment of chemical contaminants in byproducts for animal feed in Denmark

With aim to provide information on chemical contaminants in byproducts in animal feed, the data from an official control by the Danish Plant Directorate during 1998–2009, were reviewed and several samples of citrus pulp and dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) were additionally collected for analysis and risk assessment. The levels of contaminants in the samples from the official control were below maximum limits from EU regulations with only a few exceptions in the following groups; dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) in fish-containing byproducts and dioxins in vegetable and animal fat, hydrogen cyanide in linseed, and cadmium in sunflowers. The levels of pesticides and mycotoxins in the additionally collected samples were below maximum limits. Enniatin B (ENN B) was present in all DDGS samples. The hypothetical cases of carry-over of contamination from these byproducts were designed assuming total absorption and accumulation of the ingested contaminant in meat and milk and high exposure (a byproduct formed 15–20% of the feed ration depending on the species). The risk assessment was refined based on literature data on metabolism in relevant animal species. Risk assessment of contaminants in byproducts is generally based on a worst-case approach, as data on carry-over of a contaminant are sparse. This may lead to erroneous estimation of health hazards. The presence of ENN B in all samples of DDGS indicates that potential impact of this emerging mycotoxin on feed and food safety deserves attention. A challenge for the future is to fill up gaps in toxicological databases and improve models for carry-over of contaminants.     

Minimization of the formation of disinfection by-products

The drinking water industry is required to minimize DBPs levels while ensuring adequate disinfection. In this study, efficient and appropriate treatment scheme for the reduction of disinfection by-product (DBPs) formation in drinking water containing natural organic matter has been established. This was carried out by the investigation of different treatment schemes consisting of enhanced coagulation, sedimentation, disinfection by using chlorine dioxide/ozone, filtration by sand filter, or granular activated carbon (GAC). Bench scale treatment schemes were applied on actual samples from different selected sites to identify the best conditions for the treatment of water. Samples were collected from effluent of each step in the treatment train in order to analyze pH, UV absorbance at 254 nm (UVA₂₅₄), specific UV absorbance at 254 nm (SUVA₂₅₄), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), haloacetic acids (HAAs) and trihalomethanes (THMs). The obtained results indicated that using pre-ozonation/enhanced coagulation/activated carbon filtration treatment train appears to be the most effective method for reducing DBPs precursors in drinking water treatment.     

Whole effluent toxicity assessment at a wastewater treatment plant upgraded with a full-scale post-ozonation using aquatic key species

Ozonation as final wastewater (WW) polishing step, following conventional activated sludge treatment is increasingly implemented in sewage treatment for contaminant degradation to prevent surface water pollution. While the oxidative degradation of chemicals has been extensively investigated, the in vivo toxicological characteristics of ozonated whole effluents are rarely a matter of research.In the present study, whole effluents were toxicologically evaluated with an in vivo test battery before and after full-scale ozonation and subsequent sand filtration on site at a treatment plant. One aquatic plant (duckweed, Lemna minor) and five invertebrate species of different systematic groups (Lumbriculus variegatus, Chironomus riparius, Potamopyrgus antipodarum, Daphnia magna) were exposed to the effluents in a flow-through-designed test system with a test duration of 7-28 d.None of the considered toxicity endpoints correlated with the pollutant elimination. A tendency towards an increased toxicity after ozonation was apparent in three of the test systems showing [statistically] significant adverse effects in the L. variegatus toxicity test (decrease in reproduction and biomass). After sand filtration, adverse effects were reduced to a similar level like after conventional treatment. Solely the Daphnia reproduction test revealed beneficial effects after ozonation in combination with sand filtration.Results of the test battery indicate the formation of adverse oxidation products during WW ozonation. L. variegatus appeared to be the most sensitive of the five test species. Sand filtration effectively removes or detoxifies toxic oxidation products, as toxic effects were subsequently reduced to the level after conventional treatment.     

Disinfection byproducts in drinking water and regulatory compliance: A critical review

Disinfection by-products (DBPs) are regulated in drinking water in a number of countries. This critical review focuses on the issues associated with DBP regulatory compliance, including methods for DBP analysis, occurrence levels, the regulation comparison among various countries, DBP compliance strategies, and emerging DBPs. The regulation comparison between China and the United States (US) indicated that the DBP regulations in China are more stringent based on the number of regulated compounds and maximum levels. The comparison assessment using the Information Collection Rule (ICR) database indicated that the compliance rate of 500 large US water plants under the China regulations is much lower than that under the US regulations (e.g. 62.2% versus 89.6% for total trihalomethanes). Precursor removal and alternative disinfectants are common practices for DBP regulatory compliance. DBP removal after formation, including air stripping for trihalomethane removal and biodegradation for haloacetic acid removal, have gained more acceptance in DBP control. Formation of emerging DBPs, including iodinated DBPs and nitrogenous DBPs, is one of unintended consequences of precursor removal and alternative disinfection. At much lower levels than carbonaceous DBPs, however, emerging DBPs have posed higher health risks.     

再生水消毒副产物的检测、生成与控制

在水资源紧缺的当下,污水再生利用是一项重要的环保战略更是资源战略.消毒能有效杀灭病菌和阻断介水疾病的传播,是保障再生水用水安全的重要手段.然而,消毒剂会不可避免地与水中有机物发生反应形成具有毒害效应的消毒副产物.围绕污水在再生消毒过程中所产生的消毒副产物,针对其检测识别方法、生成条件（前体物、消毒工艺及水质条件对消毒副产物生成的影响）以及控制方法（源头控制、过程控制及末端控制）进行综述.在此基础上,对再生水消毒副产物的未来研究动态进行了探讨,可为保障再生水的安全利用提供依据.