Comparison of Nitrate Levels in Raw Water and Finished Water from Historical Monitoring Data on Iowa Municipal Drinking Water Supplies

Nitrate contamination of water sources is a concern where large amounts of nitrogen fertilizers are regularly applied to soils. Ingested nitrate from dietary sources and drinking water can be converted to nitrite and ultimately to N-nitroso compounds, many of which are known carcinogens. Epidemiologic studies of drinking water nitrate and cancer report mixed findings; a criticism is the use of nitrate concentrations from retrospective drinking water data to assign exposure levels. Residential point-of-use nitrate data are scarce; gaps in historical data for municipal supply finished water hamper exposure classification efforts. We used generalized linear regression models to estimate and compare historical raw water and finished water nitrate levels (1960s--1990s) in single source Iowa municipal supplies to determine whether raw water monitoring data could supplement finished water data to improve exposure assessment. Comparison of raw water and finished water samples (same sampling date) showed a significant difference in nitrate levels in municipalities using rivers; municipalities using other surface water or alluvial groundwater had no difference in nitrate levels. A regional aggregation of alluvial groundwater municipalities was constructed based on results from a previous study showing regional differences in nitrate contamination of private wells; results from this analysis were mixed, dependent upon region and decade. These analyses demonstrate using historical raw water nitrate monitoring data to supplement finished water data for exposure assessment is appropriate for individual Iowa municipal supplies using alluvial groundwater, lakes or reservoirs. Using alluvial raw water data on a regional basis is dependent on region and decade.     

Simplification and validation of a large volume polyurethane foam sampler for the analysis of persistent hydrophobic compounds in drinking water

The use of a large volume polyurethane foam (PUF) sampler was validated for rapid extraction of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), in raw water and treated water from drinking water plants. To validate the recovery of target compounds in the sampling process, a (37)Cl-labeled standard was spiked into the 1st PUF plug prior to filtration. An accelerated solvent extraction method, as a pressurized liquid extractor (PLE), was optimized to extract the PUF plug. For sample preparation, tandem column chromatography (TCC) clean-up was used for rapid analysis. The recoveries of labeled compounds in the analytical method were 80-110% (n = 9). The optimized PUF-PLE-TCC method was applied in the analysis of raw water and treated potable water from seven drinking water plants in South Korea. The sample volume used was between 18 and 102 L for raw water at a flow rate of 0.4-2 L min(-1), 95 and 107 L for treated water at a flow rate of 1.5-2.2 L min(-1). Limit of quantitation (LOQ) was a function of sample volume and it decreased with increasing sample volume. The LOQ of PCDD/Fs in raw waters analyzed by this method was 3-11 times lower than that described using large-size disk-type solid phase extraction (SPE) method. The LOQ of PCDD/F congeners in raw water and treated water were 0.022-3.9 ng L(-1) and 0.018-0.74 ng L(-1), respectively. Octachlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (OCDD) was found in some raw water samples, while their concentrations were well below the tentative criterion set by the Japanese Environmental Ministry for drinking water. OCDD was below the LOQ in the treated drinking water.     

Occurrence of PCBs in raw and finished drinking water at seven public water systems along the Hudson River

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in raw and finished drinking water at seven Public Water Systems (PWSs) along the Hudson River as part of a baseline monitoring program prior to the extensive sediment dredging of the Upper Hudson River. Water samples were either analyzed using an Aroclor method (based on USEPA Method 508) or a congener method (Modified Green Bay Mass Balance Method). Using the congener-based method, raw water concentrations ranged from <9.3 to 164.3 ng/L and finished water concentrations ranged from <9.3 to 186.6 ng/L. Using the Aroclor method, finished water concentrations ranged from <5.0 to 200.9 ng/L. Most finished water samples above 73.0 ng/L were from a PWS with wells drilled near the river. Excluding the well data, total PCB concentrations in raw water at systems in the Upper River were similar to concentrations at systems in the Lower River, though the congener patterns differed. Paired comparison of total PCB concentrations using the two analytical methods showed good agreement, although raw water showed a different relationship than finished water.     

Mapping Turbidity in the Charles River, Boston Using a High-resolution Satellite

The usability of high-resolution satellite imagery for estimating spatial water quality patterns in urban water bodies is evaluated using turbidity in the lower Charles River, Boston as a case study. Water turbidity was surveyed using a boat-mounted optical sensor (YSI) at 5 m spatial resolution, resulting in about 4,000 data points. The ground data were collected coincidently with a satellite imagery acquisition (IKONOS), which consists of multispectral (R, G, B) reflectance at 1 m resolution. The original correlation between the raw ground and satellite data was poor (R2 = 0.05). Ground data were processed by removing points affected by contamination (e.g., sensor encounters a particle floc), which were identified visually. Also, the ground data were corrected for the memory effect introduced by the sensor's protective casing using an analytical model. Satellite data were processed to remove pixels affected by permanent non-water features (e.g., shoreline). In addition, water pixels within a certain buffer distance from permanent non-water features were removed due to contamination by the adjacency effect. To determine the appropriate buffer distance, a procedure that explicitly considers the distance of pixels to the permanent non-water features was applied. Two automatic methods for removing the effect of temporary non-water features (e.g., boats) were investigated, including (1) creating a water-only mask based on an unsupervised classification and (2) removing (filling) all local maxima in reflectance. After the various processing steps, the correlation between the ground and satellite data was significantly better (R2 = 0.70). The correlation was applied to the satellite image to develop a map of turbidity in the lower Charles River, which reveals large-scale patterns in water clarity. However, the adjacency effect prevented the application of this method to near-shore areas, where high-resolution patterns were expected (e.g., outfall plumes).     

Assessing the risk posed by high-turbidity water to water supplies

The objective of this study is to assess the risk of insufficient water supply posed by high-turbidity water. Several phenomena can pose risks to the sufficiency of a water supply; this study concerns risks to water treatment plants from particular properties of rainfall and raw water turbidity. High-turbidity water can impede water treatment plant operations; rainfall properties can influence the degree of soil erosion. Thus, water turbidity relates to rainfall characteristics. Exceedance probabilities are presented for different rainfall intensities and turbidities of water. When the turbidity of raw water is higher than 5,000 NTU, it can cause operational problems for a water treatment plant. Calculations show that the turbidity of raw water at the Ban-Sin water treatment plant will be higher than 5,000 NTU if the rainfall intensity is larger than 165 mm/day. The exceedance probability of high turbidity (turbidity >5,000 NTU) in the Ban-Sin water treatment plant is larger than 10%. When any water treatment plant cannot work regularly, its ability to supply water to its customers is at risk.     

Real<Emphasis Type="Bold">-</Emphasis>time water quality monitoring using Internet of Things in SCADA

Water pollution is the root cause for many diseases in the world. It is necessary to measure water quality using sensors for prevention of water pollution. However, the related works remain the problems of communication, mobility, scalability, and accuracy. In this paper, we propose a new Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system that integrates with the Internet of Things (IoT) technology for real-time water quality monitoring. It aims to determine the contamination of water, leakage in pipeline, and also automatic measure of parameters (such as temperature sensor, flow sensor, color sensor) in real time using Arduino Atmega 368 using Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) module. The system is applied in the Tirunelveli Corporation (Metro city of Tamilnadu state, India) for automatic capturing of sensor data (pressure, pH, level, and energy sensors). SCADA system is fine-tuned with additional sensors and reduced cost. The results show that the proposed system outperforms the existing ones and produces better results. SCADA captures the real-time accurate sensor values of flow, temperature, and color and turbidity through the GSM communication.     

Phenolic water pollutants in a Malaysian River basin

Phenolic chemicals with their very low taste and odour thresholds, high persistence and toxicity, are of growing concern as water pollutants. The compounds are known to exist in raw water as well as in treated water. The level of phenolic priority pollutants in water within the catchment area of the Linggi River Treatment Plant in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, which includes the Linggi river basin, was monitored. The 4-aminoantipyrin colourimetric method was used to determine total phenols whereas capillary column gas chromatography was used to determine the individual compounds. The results show that at most sampling stations, particularly those within the Seremban municipality, the level of phenols was found to exceed the recommended Malaysian standard of 2.0 g/L^-1 for raw water. This is seen as the direct impact of industrial and urbanization of the area and clearly indicates the unhealthy state of the Linggi river. The results also indicate the need to improve the water quality if the river is going to be used as a source of raw water.     

Chemical and Bacteriological Monitoring of Drinking Water from an Urbanised Water Catchment Drainage Basin

The Linggi river drainage basin in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia supplies water to the whole of Port Dickson district and meets 50% of the Seremban district needs. The Linggi River, the main tributary, passes through the highly urbanised and densely populated Seremban district while the water treatment plant is located 16 km downstream. In 1979 the USEPA declared the river unsuitable as a source of raw water whereas the WHO classified it as being heavily polluted requiring more extensive and effective treatment. In order to meet the WHO drinking water standards, an ozonation system was installed in the conventional water treatment plant. The objective of ozonation is for the control and removal of organic micropollutants and other deleterious matters. This study investigated the concentrations and distribution of organic micropollutants, heavy metals, and bacteriological counts in water samples collected from within the catchment and the treated water. The effectiveness of the ozonation system was also studied. The total level of phenolic water pollutants in the catchment was generally found to be very much higher than the maximum recommended level of 2.0 µgl-1. The extensive treatment process carried out at the plant was very effective in reducing the levels of total phenols in the treated water to less than 1.0 µgl-1. However the process was not efficient enough to reduce the levels of some heavy metals as required by the standards, for examples Cd and Pb were still three times higher than the standards of 5µgl-1 and 0.05 mgl-1 respectively. For bacteriological study, coliform group of bacteria, Salmonella, faecal streptococci and injured coliform were monitored in the raw and treated water. The raw water contained coliforms about 1000 times higher than the required standard for raw ater, but after the secondary treatment by ozonation coliform bacteria were absent, however a small number of Salmonella was still present occasionally. The study also showed that restructuring of the district and relocating of some commercial activities along the river banks to other areas carried out over the last five years has improved the general quality of the river water.     

ANFIS-based modelling for coagulant dosage in drinking water treatment plant: a case study

Coagulation is the most important stage in drinking water treatment processes for the maintenance of acceptable treated water quality and economic plant operation, which involves many complex physical and chemical phenomena. Moreover, coagulant dosing rate is non-linearly correlated to raw water characteristics such as turbidity, conductivity, pH, temperature, etc. As such, coagulation reaction is hard or even impossible to control satisfactorily by conventional methods. Traditionally, jar tests are used to determine the optimum coagulant dosage. However, this is expensive and time-consuming and does not enable responses to changes in raw water quality in real time. Modelling can be used to overcome these limitations. In this study, an Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) was used for modelling of coagulant dosage in drinking water treatment plant of Boudouaou, Algeria. Six on-line variables of raw water quality including turbidity, conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, ultraviolet absorbance, and the pH of water, and alum dosage were used to build the coagulant dosage model. Two ANFIS-based Neuro-fuzzy systems are presented. The two Neuro-fuzzy systems are: (1) grid partition-based fuzzy inference system (FIS), named ANFIS-GRID, and (2) subtractive clustering based (FIS), named ANFIS-SUB. The low root mean square error and high correlation coefficient values were obtained with ANFIS-SUB method of a first-order Sugeno type inference. This study demonstrates that ANFIS-SUB outperforms ANFIS-GRID due to its simplicity in parameter selection and its fitness in the target problem.     

基于亨利定律的水中臭氧浓度检测方法研究

为提高水中臭氧(O_3)浓度检测方法的普适性、准确性和便捷性,提出了一种新的非接触式的水中O_3浓度检测方法。基于亨利定律(Henry’s Law),采用电化学方法,建立空气中O_3浓度与水中O_3浓度的回归方程,从而推导出水中O_3浓度。实验结果显示,水体O_3传感器的检出限为0.02 mg/L,检测上限为0.40 mg/L,可决系数R~2为0.998 9,相对误差最大值为7.05%,相对标准偏差最大值为2.82%。实际样品检测显示,水体O_3检测传感器的检测结果与O_3快速测定试剂盒(DPD法)的检测结果完全吻合。该方法不但综合了智能传感器的小型化、网络化、实时测量等特性,而且结构简单、成本低、响应快,适用于水体中O_3浓度的快速检测。     

Evaluating the Efficiency of Coagulation in the Removal of Dissolved Organic Carbon from Reservoir Water using Fluorescence and Ultraviolet Photometry

The present study used ultraviolet absorption (UVa) and the florescence intensity (FI) to evaluate the coagulation efficiency for removing dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the raw water from Min-Ter, Li-Yu-Ten and Yun-Ho-Shen reservoirs in Taiwan. The results indicated that the ratio of DOC removal rate and FI removal rate was maintained at about 1 at various coagulant dosages. However, the ratio of DOC removal rate and UVa removal rate decreased as the coagulant dosage increased. In addition, after coagulation, the use of florescence intensity instead of total organic carbon (TOC) is better than UVa for measuring the DOC removal rate of the raw waters gathered in different months from the three reservoirs. Furthermore, a good linear relationship between florescence intensity and DOC removal rate was observed, and the DOC/FI ratio of raw water from each reservoir can be used to predict the DOC residual concentration after enhanced coagulation. This result shows that fluorescence analysis can be used for on-line and continuous monitoring the effectiveness of organic matter removal in water treatment.     

Occurrence of Giardia and Cryptosporidium in Italian water supplies

A total of 21 samples: raw water (RW) samples; water samples after coagulation with aluminium sulfate (clarified water: CW); and water after chlorination (treated water: TW) from a water purification plant that treats river surface water from the neighbourhood of Foggia (Italy), were analysed for the presence of Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts. Bacteriological indicator of faecal contamination (total and faecal coliforms, faecal streptococci,), total bacterial count at 22 and 36 degrees C and physicochemical parameters (turbidity, temperature, pH) were evaluated. Cryptosporidium oocysts were not found in any samples examined, while Giardia cysts were found only in RW samples, with the maximal concentration of 8 cysts/100 l. A positive correlation was found between the Giardia densities and quality parameters such as TC, FC and TBC at 22 degrees C. Giardia levels in raw water samples correlated (p < 0.05) with TC, FC and with temperature. No other water quality parameters was consistently correlated with cysts level.     

Moisture monitoring in waste disposal surface barriers

Surface barriers for waste disposal sites should preventwaste water and gas emission into the environment. It isnecessary to assess their proper operation by monitoring thewater regime of the containment. A set of three new water contentmeasuring devices has been developed that provide an economicalsolution for monitoring the moisture distribution and waterdynamic. They will give an early warning service if the barriersystem is at risk of being damaged. The cryo soil moisture sensor`LUMBRICUS' is an in situ self-calibrating absolute water contentmeasuring device. It measures moisture profiles at spot locationsdown to 2.5 m depth with an accuracy of better than 1.5% and adepth resolution of 0.03 m. The sensor inherently measuresdensity changes and initial cracks of shrinking materials likeclay minerals. The large area soil moisture sensor `TAUPE' is amoisture sensitive electric cable network to be buried in themineral barrier material of the cover. A report will be givenwith results and experiences on an exemplary installation at theWaste Disposal Facility Karlsruhe-West. 800 m² of the barrierconstruction have been continuously monitored since December1997. Volumetric water content differences of 1.5% have beendetected and localised within 4 m. This device is alreadyinstalled in two other waste disposal sites. A modified `TAUPE'was constructed for the control of tunnels and river dams aswell. Thin sheet moisture sensor `FORMI' is specifically designedfor moisture measurements in liners like bentonite, textile andplastic. Due to its flexibility it follows the curvature of theliner. The sensor measures independently from neighbouringmaterials and can be matched to a wide range of differentthickness of the material. The sensors are patented in several countries.     

Personal ammonia sensor for industrial environments

The realisation of an opto-chemical ammonia sensor suitable for personal monitoring tasks is described, comprising a cyanine dye immobilised in a microporous glass thin film. The fabrication of sensor platforms incorporating embossed grating couplers provides a compact optical design with effective waveguiding characteristics, resulting in reversible ammonia sensitivity in the 5-100 ppm range in under 2 min. Cross-sensitivity of sensor response with water and other potential interferents is considered.     

Study of personal–indoor–ambient fine particulate matters among school communities in mixed urban–industrial environment in India

A sampling program was conducted to investigate the formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) at two advanced water treatment plants in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. The results in this study can be used as a reference for the operational control of water treatment plants and the setting of regulations in Taiwan. Samples of drinking water were collected from two advanced water treatment plants from June 2007 to April 2008. Changes in the concentration of dissolved organic carbon, the trihalomethane formation potential, and the haloacetic acids formation potential were measured in raw water samples. Variations in the concentrations of trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAA₅) in finished drinking water were evaluated. The major species of HAA₅ were in the order of dichloroacetic acid and trichloroacetic acid and the THM was of trichloromethane. DOC was strongly related to DBPs in raw water. In this investigation, the removal efficiency of DBPs in Plant A (ultrafiltration/reverse osmosis system) exceeded that in Plant B (ozonation/biological activated carbon system). Both advanced water treatment plants greatly improved the quality of drinking water.     

GC／MS在水污染事故监测中的应用

用ＧＣ／ＭＳ仪对一起严重的水污染事故水样进行了监测,检出的几十种化合物中,有多种与某化工厂的原料,产品及其中间体相吻合,该厂排放的污水与被污染河水水样有极其相似的指纹特征,迅速地判定了污染事故的责任者。     

Change in drinking water quality from source to point-of-use and storage: a case study from Guwahati, India

To ascertain the quality of drinking water being supplied and maintained at Guwahati, the study was conducted on the status of water supply in city through surveillance of drinking water quality for consecutive 7 days at various treatment stages, distribution network and consumer ends. The performance of five water treatment plants (WTPs), viz. Panbazar WTP, Satpukhuri WTP, Kamakhya WTP, PHED WTP and Hegrabari WTP were assessed for summer, piost-post-monsoon and winter seasons. No significant change in raw water quality was observed on day-to-day basis. Residual chlorine was found in the range of nil to 0.2 mg/L in the treated water. During post-monsoon, winter, and summer seasons the thermotolerent TC and FC counts ranged between Nil to 168 CFU/100 ml and Nil to 84 CFU/100 ml; Nil to 3356 CFU/100 ml and Nil to 152 CFU/100 ml; and Nil to 960 CFU/100 ml and Nil to 108 CFU/100 ml respectively. There was variation in bacterial counts among the different service reservoirs and consumer ends, which may be attributed to the general management practices for maintenance of service reservoirs and the possibility of enroute contamination. Evaluation of the raw water quality indicate that the water is suitable for drinking after conventional treatment followed by disinfection. The finished water quality meets the level of standards described as per Bureau of Indian Standard specifications (BIS:10500 1991) for potability in terms of its physico-chemical characteristics.     

水样中双酚A检测技术研究

介绍了水样中双酚A检测技术的最新研究进展,评述了光谱分析、传感器检测、免疫检测及生物检测等四种方法的特点及实际应用情况,探讨了水样中双酚A检测技术的发展方向.     

Assessment of water quality monitoring for the optimal sensor placement in lake Yahuarcocha using pattern recognition techniques and geographical information systems

Pollution and the eutrophication process are increasing in lake Yahuarcocha and constant water quality monitoring is essential for a better understanding of the patterns occurring in this ecosystem. In this study, key sensor locations were determined using spatial and temporal analyses combined with geographical information systems (GIS) to assess the influence of weather features, anthropogenic activities, and other non-point pollution sources. A water quality monitoring network was established to obtain data on 14 physicochemical and microbiological parameters at each of seven sample sites over a period of 13 months. A spatial and temporal statistical approach using pattern recognition techniques, such as cluster analysis (CA) and discriminant analysis (DA), was employed to classify and identify the most important water quality parameters in the lake. The original monitoring network was reduced to four optimal sensor locations based on a fuzzy overlay of the interpolations of concentration variations of the most important parameters.     

Pesticide residues in liquid pekmez (grape molasses)

In this investigation properties of organic semiconductor copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) capacitive humidity and illumination sensors were studied. Organic thin film was deposited by vacuum evaporation on a glass substrate with silver surface-type electrodes to form the Ag/CuPc/Ag sensor. The capacitance of the samples was evaluated at room temperature in the relative humidity range of 35–92%. It was observed that capacitance of the Ag/CuPc/Ag sensor increases with increase in humidity. The ratio of the relative capacitance to relative humidity was about 200. It is assumed that in general the capacitive response of the sensor is associated with polarization due to absorption of water molecules and transfer of charges (electrons and holes). It was observed that under filament lamp illumination of up to 1,000 lx the capacitance of the Ag/CuPc/Ag photo capacitive detectors increased continuously by 20% as compared to dark condition. It is assumed that photo capacitive response of the sensor is associated with polarization due to transfer of photo-generated electrons and holes. An equivalent circuit of the Ag/CuPc/Ag capacitive humidity and illumination sensor was developed. Humidity and illumination dependent capacitance properties of this sensor make it attractive for use in humidity and illumination multi-meters. The sensor may be used in instruments for environmental monitoring of humidity and illumination.