Études des transformations des formes du carbone, azote, phosphore, soufre et des principaux éléments minéraux au cours de la mesure de la demande totale en oxygene—III transformation des formes du soufre

Previous experiments carried out with the laboratory TOD meter Ionics 225 of the DOW Chèmical made it possible (after a high temperature catalytic action) to characterize the stable forms of organic and inorganic carbon and nitrogen (NH₄⁺, NO₂⁻, NO₃⁻), and the principal cations (Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺) in the course of the total oxygen demand (TOD) measurement.The object of this study is firstly to compare the oxidation capability of different techniques of organic pollution (particularly the COD and TOD) in relation to the constituent elements of the organic matter C, N, P, S, and to calculate the possible interferences of the inorganic compounds at the time of TOD test.These investigations warrant the application of this technique to measure the amount of organic pollution in relatively mineralized conditions (Industrial wastewater, sea-water…). The present publication is concerned more with the study of the transformation of the organic and inorganic sulphur forms (S²⁻, SO₃²⁻. SO₄²⁻) in the course of the TOD measurement.The study of the oxidizability of the organic sulphur compound type C_xH_yO_zS, made it possible to establish a specific relation with a ratio of 0–50 mg of organic sulphur l⁻¹, between the oxygen demand of this element [TOD (S)] and its concentration (TOD (S) = 0.97 [S]).These tests showed a partial oxidation of the sulphur to SO₂ and SO₃ as the literature claimed. On the other hand, the oxidation of the same compounds during the COD tests varies greatly and although it is not possible to establish a correlation between these two measurements, as applies in the case of organic nitrogen, nevertheless these experiments showed a greater reliability of the TOD compared with the COD in the oxidation of organic matter in general. We then carried out experiments on the different mineral forms of sulphur in order to distinguish the possible effects and to recommend simple improvements.A relative study on sulphate ions had been carried out with standard solutions which have the same TOD (the basic TOD is obtained using potassium phthalate acid) and the same increasing concentration of the salt M₂SO₄ type. The experiments showed that the basic TOD decreases when the concentration of sulphate ions is increased (Fig. 3). Therefore, the interference is negative and taking into consideration the specific oxygen demand of the cation, we can propose an evaluation of this interference (ΔTOD (SO₄²⁻) = 0.203 [SO₄²⁻]). The same experiments have been conducted with a salt of M₂SO₃ type and similar results obtained (Fig. 5).The specific interference of the sulphite ion is negative and can be estimated by the following equation (ΔTOD (SO₃²⁻) = 0.132 [SO₃²⁻]). In both cases, we have to note that the transformation of these inorganic anions occurs between those relative to the theoretical dissociation reaction corresponding to the appearance of the oxide SO₂ and SO₃. For sulphurous on the contrary, the interference is positive and therefore corresponds to an extra oxygen demand (Fig. 8).The experiments were conducted directly with the M₂S salts (M representing K or Na) in aqueous solution.The evaluation of this interference had been made in the consideration of two concentration ranges of the sulphurous ions (0–35 mg S²⁻ l⁻¹): TOD (S²⁻) = 0.4 [S²⁻] and (35–100 mg S²⁻ l⁻¹): TOD (S²⁻) = 1.2 [S²⁻] − 30.Therefore this study confirms a better oxidation of the organic matter by TOD test in comparison with COD test.But sulphate and sulfite have a negative interference in the TOD measurement, whereas sulphurous is positive.The evaluation model of these interferences allows a correction to be made of the TOD value or to verify TOD measurement of organic pollution obtained by this technique.     

Etudes des transformations des formes du carbone, azote, phosphore, soufre, et des principaux elements mineraux au cours de la mesure de la demande totale en oxygene—I. Transformation des formes du carbone et des principaux cations

Les expériences réalisées sur le D.T.O. mètre de laboratoire IONICS 225 de la Dow Chemical, ont permis de caractériser, aprés l'action catalytique à haute température, les formes stables du carbone, de l'hydrogéne et des cations sodium, potassium, calcium, magnésium.Dans l'intervalle 0–250 mg O₂ l ou la réponse du capteur d'oxygène est proportionnelle à la concentration en matière organique nous avons démontré expérimentalement que le carbone organique ou minéral est transformé en CO₂ l'hydrogène en H₂O, et les cations sodium, potassium, calcium, magnésium en leurs oxyde et hydroxyde correspondants.Les ions bicarbonates et carbonates sont réduits et créent une interference négative: par contre les cations sont oxydés et creent une interférence positive dans la mesure de l'équivalent oxygéne par le D.T.O. métre.     

Chloration de composés organiques: demande en chlore et réactivite vis-a-vis de la formation des trihalométhanes. Incidence de l'azote ammoniacalChlorination of organic compounds: Chlorine demand and reactivity in relationship to the trihalomethane formation. Incidence of ammoniacal nitrogen

The purpose of this work is to contribute to knowledge of the condition of formation of volatile and non-volatile organochlorinated compounds during surface water chlorination. With this aim in view, the chlorination of a number of organic substances in diluted aqueous solutions (10⁻⁶-10⁻⁵ moll ⁻¹) and in a neutral medium was studied. Special attention was given to their reactivity in relation to the formation of trihalomethanes.The results obtained show great differences in the reactivity of chlorine towards chemical substances liable to be present in the waters. The high chlorine demands, 5–12 mol of chlorine per mol of compound after a 15 h reaction at pH 7, where obtained with those aromatic compounds having activating groups such as — OH and — NR₂ (phenol and aniline derivatives). On the other hand, a number of compounds (alipahitcs in general; acids, aldehydes, alcohols…) are relatively inert towards chlorination.As far as chloroform production is concerned, the study shows that many organic compounds are liable to lead to the production of low quantities of chloroform in a neutral medium (molar yields < 5%). However, only a few specific structures such as metapolyhydroxybenzenes and metachlorophenols constitute good precursors of the haloform reaction.The study of the formation kinetics of chloroform, carried out with some precursors of different reactivity: acetone, acetylacetone, resorcinol, phloroglucinol and 3,5-dichlorophenol allowed us to determine the kinetic constants of chloroform formation at pH 7.5 and 20° C:

The results obtained during this work also show that the chlorine found in the chloroform produced from a precursor, represents only a small proportion of the chlorine demand. Even with a highly reactive precursor such as resorcinol. It was shown that the liberation of chloroform is accompanied by the formation of trichloroacetic acid (molar yield < 10%) and of monochloromaleic acid (molar yield 60%). Moreover, tetrahalogenated and pentahalogenated hydrocarbons (C₃Cl₄ and C₃ HCl₅) resulting from 3,5 -dichlorophenol chlorination were made manifest. As for the chlorin- ation of acetylacetone, a mechanism passing through the formation of 1,1-tri- chloroacetone was proposed.Lastly, in the general framework of the interactions between chlorine, ammonia nitrogen and the organic compounds which are frequently found in surface water chlorination, the study allowed us to show that the chlorination of highly reactive precursors (such as metapolyhydroxybenzenes and metachlorophenols) can lead to the production of important amounts of chloroform before reaching breakpoint. These results compared to the values of the velocities of the various reactions between chlorine and the ammoniacal compounds.