An overview of the methods used in the characterisation of natural organic matter (NOM) in relation to drinking water treatment

Natural organic matter (NOM) is found in all surface, ground and soil waters. During recent decades, reports worldwide show a continuing increase in the color and NOM of the surface water, which has an adverse affect on drinking water purification. For several practical and hygienic reasons, the presence of NOM is undesirable in drinking water. Various technologies have been proposed for NOM removal with varying degrees of success. The properties and amount of NOM, however, can significantly affect the process efficiency. In order to improve and optimise these processes, the characterisation and quantification of NOM at different purification and treatment processes stages is important. It is also important to be able to understand and predict the reactivity of NOM or its fractions in different steps of the treatment. Methods used in the characterisation of NOM include resin adsorption, size exclusion chromatography (SEC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The amount of NOM in water has been predicted with parameters including UV-Vis, total organic carbon (TOC), and specific UV-absorbance (SUVA). Recently, methods by which NOM structures can be more precisely determined have been developed; pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS), multidimensional NMR techniques, and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS). The present review focuses on the methods used for characterisation and quantification of NOM in relation to drinking water treatment.     

Enhancement effect of water associated with natural organic matter (NOM) on organic compound-NOM interactions: a case study with carbamazepine

Natural organic matter (NOM) in soils and sediments is recognized to strongly affect environmental distributions of organic compounds. Water associated with NOM may have a significant impact on NOM-organic compound interactions. The objectives of this research were (1) to determine the effect of hydration of a model NOM sorbent on interactions with a probe organic compound, carbamazepine (CBZ), and (2) based on the comparison with the literature data, to evaluate the effect of organic compound structure on the cooperative participation of water molecules in organic sorbate-NOM interactions. CBZ is one of the most widely reported water pollutants from the pharmaceutical and personal care products family. Therefore, CBZ sorption on Pahokee peat was compared from water and from n-hexadecane, using solubility-normalized solute concentrations. CBZ-NOM interactions were enhanced by one to two orders of magnitudes when NOM became fully hydrated. This enhancement is associated with the distinct ability of CBZ to undergo strong, specific interactions with NOM which was revealed by comparing the transfer of CBZ and another model sorbate, phenanthrene, from solution in n-hexadecane to the hydrated NOM sorbent. The enhancing effect of NOM hydration on CBZ-NOM interactions was also observed when CBZ sorption was examined on partially hydrated NOM. In comparison with a smaller-size organic sorbate such as phenol, CBZ needs more NOM-associated water in order to demonstrate the strengthening of interactions with NOM. Therefore, for penetration of the larger sorbate molecules into the NOM interior, a greater number of water molecules are needed to compensate for the local NOM disintegration thus suggesting the greater extent of the cooperativity in an involvement of water molecules in the CBZ-NOM interactions.     

An investigation into reservoir NOM reduction by UV photolysis and advanced oxidation processes

A comparison of four treatment technologies for reduction of natural organic matter (NOM) in a reservoir water was made. The work presented here is a laboratory based evaluation of NOM treatment by UV-C photolysis, UV/H(2)O(2), Fenton's reagent (FR) and photo-Fenton's reagent (PFR). The work investigated ways of reducing the organic load on water treatment works (WTWs) with a view to treating 'in-reservoir' or 'in-pipe' before the water reaches the WTW. The efficiency of each process in terms of NOM removal was determined by measuring UV absorbance at 254 nm (UV(254)) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). In terms of DOC reduction PFR was the most effective (88% removal after 1 min) however there were interferences when measuring UV(254) which was reduced to a lesser extent (31% after 1 min). In the literature, pH 3 is reported to be the optimal pH for oxidation with FR but here the reduction of UV(254) and DOC was found to be insensitive to pH in the range 3-7. The treatment that was identified as the most effective in terms of NOM reduction and cost effectiveness was PFR.     

四种净水工艺对水源水微量有机物去除的研究

以UV254和CODMn代表饮用水源水中有机物替代指标.对常规处理、生物陶粒预处理、生物滤池、生物活性炭(BAC)、颗粒活性炭(GAC)、纳滤和光催化氧化进行组合,形成不同的处理流程,研究各流程对UV254和CODMn的去除效果.结果表明,各工艺流程都有一定的处理效率,其中以生物滤池和纳滤为主的组合流程处理效果最佳.此流程对UV254的去除率接近100%,CODMn的去除率达到78.6%,大大提高了饮用水的安全性.     

Powdered activated carbon coupled with enhanced coagulation for natural organic matter removal and disinfection by-product control: application in a Western Australian water treatment plant

The removal of organic precursors of disinfection by-products (DBPs), i.e. natural organic matter (NOM), prior to disinfection and distribution is considered as the most effective approach to minimise the formation of DBPs. This study investigated the impact of the addition of powdered activated carbon (PAC) to an enhanced coagulation treatment process at an existing water treatment plant on the efficiency of NOM removal, the disinfection behaviour of the treated water, and the water quality in the distribution system. This is the first comprehensive assessment of the efficacy of plant-scale application of PAC combined with enhanced coagulation on an Australian source water. As a result of the PAC addition, the removal of NOM improved by 70%, which led to a significant reduction (80-95%) in the formation of DBPs. The water quality in the distribution system also improved, indicated by lower concentrations of DBPs in the distribution system and better maintenance of disinfectant residual at the extremities of the distribution system. The efficacy of the PAC treatment for NOM removal was shown to be a function of the characteristics of the NOM and the quality of the source water, as well as the PAC dose. PAC treatment did not have the capacity to remove bromide ion, resulting in the formation of more brominated DBPs. Since brominated DBPs have been found to be more toxic than their chlorinated analogues, their preferential formation upon PAC addition must be considered, especially in source waters containing high concentrations of bromide.     

The fate and importance of organics in drinking water treatment: a review

In the pioneer days, the main driving forces for research of organics in drinking water treatment (DWT) were human health risks and optimisation of technology. The focus was on natural organic matter (NOM) structure, disinfection by-products (DBPs) formation, NOM removal by means of coagulation, adsorption, and oxidation, and development of the most efficient water treatment trains. Surprisingly, after decades of research, rapid development of analytical techniques and progress in risk assessment, the same driving forces are still in the limelight — although the topics have changed slightly. The attention switched from trihalomethanes to a new generation of DBPs. The definition of hydrophilic/hydrophobic NOM depends on the technique used for characterisation. It has become evident that numerous organic compounds can threaten water supply sources. Some of them had been ignored or overlooked in the past, but have recently been detected by advanced analytical tools even in drinking water. Prioritisation becomes priority per se. As far as processes are concerned, mainstream research has been following three lines: fouling mechanisms, application of hybrid processes and interactions between synthetic organic chemicals, other water constituents and materials used in DWT. Significant development has been made in membrane technology. This paper presents a broad overview of the recent organics research. Although the state-of-the-art technologies seem to have an answer to each and every question raised, it is still necessary to deal with specific problems on a case-by-case basis mainly due to the unique nature of NOM and different xenobiotics that may appear in various types of waters. In the end, human health risk, which derives from the presence/absence of organics, is only the tip of the iceberg — underneath lies a whole new universe — the socio-economic aspect of water treatment and quality that deserves much more attention.     

Molecular size distribution of natural organic matter in raw and drinking waters.

The purpose of this study was to compare the molecular size distribution (MSD) of natural organic matter (NOM) in raw waters (RW) and drinking waters (DW), and to find out the differences between MSD after different water treatment processes. The MSD of NOM of 34 RW and DW of Finnish waterworks were determined with high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC). Six distinct fractions were generally separated from water samples with the TSK G3000SW column, using sodium acetate at pH 7 as an eluent. Large and intermediate humic fractions were the most dominant fractions in surface waters (lakes and rivers), while in artificially recharged groundwaters and natural groundwaters intermediate and small fractions predominated. Water treatment processes removed the two largest fractions almost completely shifting the MSD towards smaller molecular size in DW. Granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration, ozonation, and their combination reduced all humic fractions compared to the conventional treatment. Humic fractions correlated with total organic carbon (TOC) content and chemical oxygen demand, this being especially true in RW. The results demonstrate that the HPSEC method can be applied for a qualitative and also for rough estimate quantitative analyzes of NOM directly from RW and DW samples without sample pretreatment.     

Effect of pre-ozonation on optimized coagulation of a typical North-China source water

Although ozone is widely used as a pre-oxidant before coagulation in water treatment, the effect of pre-ozonation on optimized coagulation for removal of particle and natural organic matter (NOM) is still not fully understood. In this paper, pilot-scale investigation was conducted to examine the impact of pre-ozonation on coagulation for particle and NOM removal. Changes in the particle and NOM distributions were characterized by various methods, including laser light granularity system, particle counter, ultrafiltration, and resin absorbent fractionation. A novel composite flocculant–HPAC was compared with the traditional ferric chloride coagulant in terms of coagulation efficiency under the influence of pre-ozonation. Typical micro-polluted North China surface water was used for pilot coagulation tests. The results show that the effect of pre-ozonation on coagulation is associated with the dosage of ozone, coagulant type, and water contamination characteristics. For FeCl₃, pre-ozonation acts as a coagulation aid at low dosage (1.0 mg L⁻¹ O₃) for turbidity and UV₂₅₄ removal; while at higher dosage (2.0 mg L⁻¹ O₃), pre-ozonation is detrimental to UV₂₅₄ removal although it is still beneficial for turbidity removal. In the case of composite flocculant–HPAC, pre-ozonation demonstrates negligible influence on both turbidity and UV₂₅₄ removal. Ozone can simultaneously aggregate fine particles and break down large ones, making them more mineralized and easier to remove. NOM with intermediate molecular weight and hydrophobic neutral property increases at lower ozone dosage, favoring removal by coagulation. At higher ozone dosages, NOM becomes more hydrophilic and its molecular weight becomes smaller, decreasing NOM removal.     

Organic matrix in produced water from the Osage-Skiatook petroleum environmental research site, Osage county, Oklahoma

Produced water (water co-produced with oil and gas) constitutes the single largest waste stream for oil and gas industry. Reclaiming this water for beneficial use is thought to be one of the most practical solutions that can solve both environmental and water shortage problems. The feasibility of this practice depends on the ability to remove its chemical content to the levels that meets the appropriate standards. Organic compounds are probably the most difficult fraction to handle. In this paper, the discrete organic compounds and non-volatile, macromolecular organic compounds (i.e., natural organic matter--NOM) of three produced water samples from the Osage-Skiatook Environmental Research site were characterized. Two of the three produced waters had very little contribution from NOM, while one of the samples had about 23% NOM contribution to its organic matrix pool. Fluorescent spectrophotometric scans provided little differentiation among the organic quality of the produced water, while pyrolysis-GC/MS showed that the NOM characteristics of the three produced waters were distinct. Specifically, the overall halogenated content and aromaticity of the NOM were found to be possible qualifiers that distinguish produced water from the coalbed methane well from produced water from the oil well. And the specific chemical fragments that are linked to polysaccharide sources were found to be potential identifiers that distinguish produced water from the newer oil well from produced water from the older oil well. These identifiers were, however, only suggested for this preliminary study. More samples must be included to build a substantial database on produced water NOM to confirm and identify more markers.     

Sorption of phenanthrene by nanosized alumina coated with sequentially extracted humic acids

Background, aim, and scope  

Sorption of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) to natural organic matter (NOM) is an important process that affects the transport, transformation, bioavailability, and fate of HOCs in the environment. Manufactured nanoparticles (NPs) such as nano-oxides will inevitably enter the environment in the processes of their production, transfer, and use and could be coated by the ubiquitous NOM. Thus, sorption of HOCs to NOM in the environment could be affected by the NP interactions with NOM. Furthermore, the toxicity of nano-oxides could be increased due to the adsorbed HOCs. Therefore, sorption of phenanthrene by nano-Al₂O₃ coated with humic acid (HA) was examined in this study to explore the possible effect of nanoparticles (NPs) on the environmental behavior of HOCs and the potential environmental and health risks of NPs.     

Effect of Pre-ozonation on Optimized Coagulation of a Typical North-China Source Water

Although ozone is widely used as a pre-oxidant before coagulation in water treatment, the effect of pre-ozonation on optimized coagulation for removal of particle and natural organic matter (NOM) is still not fully understood. In this paper, pilot-scale investigation was conducted to examine the impact of pre-ozonation on coagulation for particle and NOM removal. Changes in the particle and NOM distributions were characterized by various methods, including laser light granularity system, particle counter, ultrafiltration, and resin absorbent fractionation. A novel composite flocculant–HPAC was compared with the traditional ferric chloride coagulant in terms of coagulation efficiency under the influence of pre-ozonation. Typical micro-polluted North China surface water was used for pilot coagulation tests. The results show that the effect of pre-ozonation on coagulation is associated with the dosage of ozone, coagulant type, and water contamination characteristics. For FeCl₃, pre-ozonation acts as a coagulation aid at low dosage (1.0 mg L⁻¹ O₃) for turbidity and UV₂₅₄ removal; while at higher dosage (2.0 mg L⁻¹ O₃), pre-ozonation is detrimental to UV₂₅₄ removal although it is still beneficial for turbidity removal. In the case of composite flocculant–HPAC, pre-ozonation demonstrates negligible influence on both turbidity and UV₂₅₄ removal. Ozone can simultaneously aggregate fine particles and break down large ones, making them more mineralized and easier to remove. NOM with intermediate molecular weight and hydrophobic neutral property increases at lower ozone dosage, favoring removal by coagulation. At higher ozone dosages, NOM becomes more hydrophilic and its molecular weight becomes smaller, decreasing NOM removal.     

Natural organic matter (NOM) in roof runoff and its impact on the Fe0 treatment system of dissolved metals

The present work investigates the impacts and mechanisms associated with natural organic matter (NOM) in the Fe0 treatment system of Cu2+ and Zn2+ under roof runoff conditions. The NOM in runoff waters was characterized using XAD-4/8 adsorption resins, copper complexation, acidic capacity and liquid chromatography with online carbon detection. Batch kinetic experiments and flow-through configurations were performed and the results of metal removal were elucidated taking into account the characteristics of NOM. Based on the findings, it is shown that NOM influences the removal of metals through several complex pathways. At an un-favored condition for adsorption of metals, i.e., on iron corrosion products, at pH相似文献   

Removal of NOM from drinking water: Fenton's and photo-Fenton's processes

The control of disinfection by-products during water treatment is primarily undertaken by reducing the levels of precursor species prior to chlorination. As many waters contain natural organic matter at levels of up to 15 mgl(-1) there is a need for a range of control methods to support conventional coagulation. Two such processes are the Fenton and photo-Fenton's processes and in this paper they are assessed for their potential to remove NOM from organic rich waters. The performance of both processes is shown to be depentent on pH, Fe: H2O2 ratio as well as Fe2+ dose. Under optimum conditions both processes achieved greater than 90% removal of DOC and UV254 absorbance. This removal lead to the trihalomethane formation potential of the water being reduced from 140 to below 10 microgl(-1), well below UK and US standards.     

Transformation of effluent organic matter during subsurface wetland treatment in the Sonoran Desert

The fate of dissolved organic matter (DOM) during subsurface wetland treatment of wastewater effluent in a hot, semi-arid environment was examined. The study objectives were to (1) discern changes in the character of dissolved organics as consequence of wetland treatment (2) establish the nature of wetland-derived organic matter, and (3) investigate the impact of wetland treatment on the formation potential of trihalomethanes (THMs). Subsurface wetland treatment produced little change in DOM polarity (hydrophobic-hydrophilic) distribution. Biodegradation of labile effluent organic matter (EfOM) and internal loading of wetland-derived natural organic matter (NOM) together produced only minor changes in the distribution of carbon moieties in hydrophobic acid (HPO-A) and transphilic acid (TPI-A) isolates of wetland effluent. Aliphatic carbon decreased as a percentage of total carbon during wetland treatment. The ratio of atomic C:N in wetland-derived NOM suggests that its character is determined by microbial activity. Formation of THMs upon chlorination of HPO-A and TPI-A isolates increased as a consequence of wetland treatment. Wetland-derived NOM was more reactive in forming THMs and less biodegradable than EfOM. For both HPO-A and TPI-A fractions, relationships between biodegradability and THM formation potential were similar among EfOM and NOM isolates; the less biodegradable isolates exhibited greater THM formation potential.     

Synthesis and characterisation of Pd-modified N-doped TiO2 for photocatalytic degradation of natural organic matter (NOM) fractions

Introduction

The removal of natural organic matter (NOM) from water is becoming increasingly important in order to prevent the formation of carcinogenic disinfection by-products. The inadequate removal of NOM has a bearing on the capacity of the other treatment processes to remove organic micro-pollutants or inorganic species that may be present in the water. New methods are therefore currently being sought to effectively characterise NOM and also to ensure that it is sufficiently removed from drinking water sources.

Methodology

Nitrogen- and palladium-co-doped TiO₂ was synthesised by a modified sol?Cgel method and evaluated for its photocatalytic degradation activity on NOM fractions under simulated solar radiation. The photocatalyst was characterised by FT-IR, Raman, XRD, DRUV?Cvis, SEM, TEM, EDS, XPS and TGA. FT-IR confirmed the presence of OH groups on thermally stable, nearly spherical anatase nanoparticles with an average diameter of 20?nm. PdO species appeared on the surface of the TiO₂ as small uniformly dispersed particles (2 to 3?nm). A red shift in the absorption edge compared to commercial anatase TiO₂ was confirmed by DRUV?Cvis. In order to gain a better insight into the response of NOM to photodegradation, the NOM was divided into three different fractions based on its chemical nature.

Results and discussion

Photodegradation efficiencies of 96, 38 and 15?% were realised for the hydrophobic, hydrophilic and transphilic NOM fractions, respectively. A reasonable mechanism was proposed to explain the photocatalytic degradation of the NOM fractions. The high photocatalytic activity could be attributed to the larger surface area, smaller crystalline size and synergistic effects of the co-dopants N and Pd in the TiO₂ crystal.     

Effect of copper(II) on natural organic matter removal during drinking water coagulation using aluminum-based coagulants.

Coagulation has been proposed as a best available technology for controlling natural organic matter (NOM) during drinking water treatment. The presence of heavy metals such as copper(II) in source water, which may form copper-NOM complexes and/or interact with a coagulant, may pose a potential challenge on the coagulation of NOM. In this work, the effect of copper(II) on NOM removal by coagulation using alum or PAX-18 (a commercial polymerized aluminum chloride from Kemiron Inc., Bartow, Florida) was examined. The results show that the presence of 1 to 10 mg/L of copper(H) in the simulated waters improved the total organic carbon (TOC) removal by up to 25% for alum coagulation and by up to 22% for PAX-18 coagulation. The increased NOM removal with the presence of copper(II) in the waters can most likely be ascribed to the formation copper-NOM complexes that may be more adsorbable on aluminum precipitates and to the formation of copper(II) co-precipitates that may also adsorb NOM. The presence of 1 to 5 mg/L of copper(I) in the waters containing 3 mg/L NOM as carbon was reduced below the maximum contaminant level goal (1.3 mg/L as copper) using either coagulant. The results suggest that the presence of copper(H) in source water may not adversely affect the NOM removal by coagulation. A good linear correlation was observed between the TOC removal efficiency and the log-total moles of the precipitated metals, which include the metal ion from a coagulant and the divalent metal ion(s) in source water.     

Influence of pH and ozone dose on the content and structure of haloacetic acid precursors in groundwater

This study investigated the effects of pH (6-10) and ozone dose [0.4-3.0?mg O(3)/mg dissolved organic carbon (DOC)] on the content and structure of haloacetic acid (HAA) precursors in groundwater rich in natural organic matter (NOM; DOC 9.85?±?0.18?mg/L) during drinking water treatment. The raw water was ozonated in a 2 L glass column. NOM fractionation was carried out using XAD resins. HAA formation potential (HAAFP) was determined according to standard EPA Method 552. NOM characterization revealed it is mostly hydrophobic (65?% fulvic and 14?% humic acids). Hydrophobic NOM significantly influences HAA formation, as confirmed by the high HAAFP (309?±?15?μg/L). Ozonation at pH?6-10 led to changes in NOM structure, i.e. complete humic acid oxidation, and increased the hydrophilic NOM fraction content (65-90?% achieved using 3.0?mg O(3)/mg DOC). The highest degree of NOM oxidation and HAA precursor removal was achieved at pH?10 (up to 68?% HAAFP). Ozonation pH influenced the distribution of HAA precursor content, as increasing the pH from 6 to 10 increased the reactivity of the hydrophilic fraction, with the HAAFP increasing from 19.1?±?6.0?μg/mg DOC in raw water to 152?±?8?μg/mg DOC in ozonated water. The degree of HAA precursor removal depends on the dominant oxidation mechanism, which is related to the applied ozone dose and the pH of the oxidation process. Ozonation at pH?10 favours the mechanism of radical NOM oxidation and was the most effective for HAAFP reduction, with the efficacy of the process improving with increasing ozone dose.     

Transport of anthracene and benz(a)anthracene through iron-quartz and three aquifer materials in laboratory columns

In groundwater systems, dissolved natural organic matter (NOM) can influence the mobility of organic contaminants by altering the contaminant behavior in water and solid phases. The transport of anthracene and benz(a)anthracene (B(a)A) was studied in the presence and absence of NOM and/or soil organic matter (SOM) in column experiments. The results show that sorption are related to the properties of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), NOM and SOM. In the Fe-quartz media, the amount of NOM (20 mg/l) in solution had a little effect on increasing the apparent solubility of anthracene and countering increased anthracene sorption. In the natural (Bemidji) soil, Suwannee river fulvic acid (SRFA, 20 mg/l) and Suwannee river humic acid (SRHA) in water did not compete with SOM for anthracene, indicating that SOM has higher partition efficiency for anthracene. It was also observed that slow diffusion through an organic phase apparently caused most of the observed tailing in column breakthrough curves (BTCs). Even though the fOC of washed Bemidji sediment was very low, the transport of B(a)A was retarded significantly, however, and the transport of B(a)A was shown to be facilitated by dissolved NOM.     

Characterizing dissolved organic matter and evaluating associated nanofiltration membrane fouling

Natural organic matter (NOM) characteristics were determined for three ground waters exhibiting different water quality conditions. The water quality of the three feed waters collected at various water table depths was characterized by XAD-8/-4 resin adsorption, high performance size exclusion chromatography with ultraviolet and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) detections, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to determine NOM fractionation, molecular weight, and NOM functional groups, respectively. Systematic studies were conducted to identify potential NOM foulants in ground water for nanofiltration (NF) membrane fouling. The results show that the hydrophobic fraction of NOM in all of the samples was significantly high (71-93%) compared to the hydrophilic (1.7-22.6%) and transphilic (5.3-6.6%) fractions. However, insignificant flux-decline (less than 5%) was observed for the highest DOC (36.9 mg l(-1)) and hydrophobic NOM (93%) containing groundwater compared to the other lesser DOC and hydrophobic NOM containing ground waters. This is presumably due to either higher fractions of hydrophilic and transphilic NOM or inorganic interactions that may be major foulants. Based on FTIR, aromatic foulants were observed at 1662 cm(-1) (CO-NH2 or CO conjugated with aromatic rings) for the fouled NF membrane with the relatively low DOC source waters. The contact angle of the clean membrane (52 degrees ) decreased with fouling up to 42-47 degrees for fouled membranes with the various samples.     

Formation of hazardous by-products resulting from the irradiation of natural organic matter: comparison between UV and VUV irradiation

The use of ultraviolet (UV) or vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photo-oxidation followed by biological treatment for the removal of natural organic matter (NOM) in drinking water is a potential water treatment technique under investigation. This paper reports on the trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP), the haloacetic acid formation potential (HAAFP), and formation of nitrite and peroxide following both UV and VUV irradiation of NOM prior to biological treatment. The total THMFP was found to decrease with increasing UV and VUV irradiation dose, although there was a linear increase in bromoform formation. Determination of the THMFP of NOM fractions obtained after irradiation, showed that the hydrophobic fraction was dominated by chlorinated species which accounted for the majority of the total THMFP, while bromoform was observed only in the hydrophilic fraction of NOM. VUV irradiation reduced the HAAFP with increasing dose, in contrast, UV irradiation had a limited effect on the overall HAAFP. Following UV or VUV irradiation, the chlorinated species accounted for the majority of HAAFP; however, significant formation of brominated haloacetic acid (HAA) was observed. The nitrate concentration of the untreated water directly influenced the concentration of nitrite produced as a consequence of UV and VUV irradiation. Hydrogen peroxide formation was greater during VUV irradiation than during UV irradiation. Samples exposed to various doses of UV or VUV irradiation (up to 138 J cm(-2)) were deemed non-cytotoxic (African green monkey kidney cells) and non-mutagenic (Ames test).