Rapid prediction of disinfection by-product formation potential by fluorescence

Recent drinking water regulations have lowered the disinfection by-product standards as well as added new disinfection by-products for regulation. Natural organic matter (NOM) plays a major role in the formation of undesirable organic by-products following disinfection/oxidation of drinking water. It is suspected that most precursors to disinfection by-products are humic, although nonhumic substances are also suspected of contributing to these by-products. Many of the disinfection by-products have adverse health effects in humans (i.e., carcinogenic or mutagenic effects). The primary chlorinated disinfection by-products of concern include trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids, and haloacetonitrile. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to study humic and fulvic acids. The two fractions of humic substances, humic and fulvic acids, were characterized by a double-peak phenomena in an overlapping fluorescing region. Disinfection by-product formation potentials of humic and fulvic acids have been correlated with total organic carbon, UV absorbance at 254 nm, specific absorbance and fluorescence. River humic and fulvic acid was found to have the highest reactivity to disinfection by-product formation as compared to soil and peat humic and fulvic acid. Fluorescence spectroscopy has shown to be a rapid and predictive tool for disinfection by-products formation potential of humic and fulvic acids.     

Examining bromate ion removal by GAC through RSSCT and pilot-scale columns

The ozonation of water containing bromide ion leads to the formation of bromate ion, a suspected human carcinogen. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has recently set a drinking water standard for bromate ion of 10 7g/L. Granular activated carbon was examined through rapid small-scale column (RSSCT) and pilot-scale experiments for bromate ion removal using treated surface water. Adsorption followed by chemical reduction were found to be the removal mechanisms of bromate ion. Removal rates were higher at lower pH levels. The RSSCT provided a good approximation of pilot-scale test performance, although breakthrough of pilot-scale experiments preceded those of RSSCT experiments, which may be attributed to biological or biofilm activity in pilot-scale columns.     

吐鲁番盆地葡萄园土壤重金属环境容量评价与预测

土壤与农产品重金属污染风险评价是当前国内外研究的热点领域。从新疆吐鲁番盆地葡萄园采集101个代表性土壤样品，测定其中As、Cd、Cr、Ni、Pb和Hg等6中元素的含量。采用综合环境容量指数法（PI），分析葡萄园土壤重金属环境容量特征及其空间分布规律，估算静态和动态环境容量，并预测其近百年变化趋势。结果表明：（1）吐鲁番盆地葡萄园土壤中As、Cd、Cr、Ni、Pb与Hg含量平均值均未超出《农用地土壤污染风险管控标准（GB15618-2018）》中的土壤风险筛选值；（2）葡萄园土壤各重金属元素单项环境容量指数平均值由大到小依次为：Ni > Pb=Hg > As > Cr > Cd其中，Ni元素的环境容量指数处于高容量状态As、Cd、Cr、Pb与Hg等5种元素环境容量指数均处于中容量状态。研究区98.02%的葡萄园土壤处于中容量区，研究区中部葡萄园土壤重金属元素的PI值较高，研究区东部和西部葡萄园土壤重金属元素的PI值较低；（3）静态年容量和动态年容量排序相同大小依次为：Cr > Ni > Pb > As > Hg > Cd。20~40 年之内的静态和动态年容量变化速度大于其他年限的变化速度，各年限动态年容量均大于静态年容量。     

Characterization of haloacetic acid precursors in source water

Raw water from the Bangkok (Thailand) main municipal water supply canal was examined for its natural organic composition by fractionation with adsorption resins. DAX-8 resin was the first resin employed to fractionate the hydrophobic fractions. Fractionation at neutral pH resulted in the separation of the hydrophobic neutral components; at a high pH level (approx. 10) separation of the hydrophobic base components occurred; and at a low pH level (approx. 2) the hydrophobic acid components were separated. AG-MP-50 cationic resin was then used to separate the hydrophilic base components, and WA-10, a weak anionic resin, was applied finally to fractionate the hydrophilic acid and neutral components. Subsequently, each fraction was tested for its chlorine disinfection by-product (DBP) formation potential. The HAA formation tests demonstrated that the various organic fractions had different reactivity levels for the formation of haloacetic acids (HAAs). For this source water, the hydrophilic neutral fraction dominated over the other five fractions in being the main organic component and the most significant precursor of HAAs formation. On the other hand, in terms of specific HAA formation potential (FP), the hydrophobic and hydrophilic base fractions were the most reactive precursors to the formation of HAAs. In all cases, the quantity of HAAs formed depended linearly upon the amount of organic constituents in the water sample.     

Flow control regulations to gain waste disposal self sufficiency

In a recent ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court has determined that solid waste flow control regulations are unconstitutional. Many states have established some form of flow control. As an example, the state of New Jersey has implemented a long-term plan to gain waste disposal self-sufficiency by the year 2000. The success of this plan hinges on the flow controls implemented by the state. Almost two billion U.S. dollars of debt has been incurred by the twenty-two solid waste districts in New Jersey to build the state-of-the-art facilities necessary to reach these goals. An analysis has been performed on the most recent data available of the state’s solid waste generation and management system, at a time when New Jersey must restructure its solid waste management plan. The New Jersey solid waste management model is of interest to other states. The consequences, facts, and alternatives of flow control are examined.