Caracterisation de la matiere organique dissoute presente dans les eaux en cours d'affinage: Influence des traitements appliques et du climat

Dissolved organic matter in treated surface waters (clarified, possibly ozonized, then GAC-filtered, Fig. 1), is fractionated by ultrafiltration into five molecular classes with MW < 300, 300–1000, 1000–5000, 5000–10000 or > 10,000. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC), oxidizability by KMnO₄ in hot alkaline medium and u.v. absorbances at 240, 254, 280, 300 nm are measured. Fourteen series of samples, distributed on an annual biological cycle are analysed (Figs 2 and 3); multivariate statistical analyses are performed.By PCA (principal component analysis), variations in water supplying the activated carbon units appear to depend for 47% on ozonation and temperature; but river flow rate and quantity of flocculant added are no longer responsible for such variations (Fig. 4). Three groups of water appear (Fig. 5), according to the applied ozone level (zero, medium, high); among the medium ozonized waters, the cold ones differ from temperate ones.Ozonation diminishes molecular size of compounds (Table 1): three major classes with MW < 5000 are present in non- or medium-ozonized waters, but only two, with MW < 1000, remain in highly ozonized waters. This treatment destroys MW > 10,000 and even 1000–5000 ones and yields MW < 300 products; it also minimizes u.v. absorbances and oxidizability. Seasonal variations occur in DOC content of medium ozonized waters, with maxima values in winter or spring and minima in summer or autumn (Fig. 6): occurrence of MW < 300 compounds follows that of DOC, but the presence of 5000–10000 ones is minimal in winter.Quality of GAC-filtered waters varies by 19% with temperature (Fig. 7); ozonation effects are minimized: only previously highly ozonized waters distinguished themselves from the others (Fig. 8). Waters, non or medium ozonized before GAC-filtration, are divided into cold, temperate and warm waters. One, two or three major classes of compounds with MW < 5000, remain in GAC-filtered waters, according to the ozone level applied previously. This filtration reduces DOC by 17%, decreases u.v. absorbances and oxidizability and gives water with the same 0.30 mg O₂ mg⁻¹ C ratio (Table 2): MW 1000–5000 class is much less oxidizable after ozonation-GAC filtration but, on the other hand, MW < 300 class appears rather less oxidizable without ozonation before biological filtration. DOC content in effluent follows that in influent (Fig. 9), but variations are less marked. Total efficiency of the filtration increases with temperature, but behaviour of compounds differs from one class to another: MW 300–1000 and 5000–10000 classes are the most affected; MW 1000–5000 is not really modified. Elimination of MW < 300 or 5000–10000 compounds depends on temperature and may be due to biological phenomena, a but that of 1000–5000 and > 10,000 classes, independent of this parameter, may be related to adsorption mechanisms.     

The role of bromide in the dissipation of chlorine in sea-water

Chlorinated natural waters with a wide range of salinities are used as coolants in coastal power plants. When chlorine is added to waters of different salinities, the concentration ratio of bromide, a major constituent of marine waters, to the added chlorine can significantly alter the rate and mechanism of the dissipation of chlorine. In this study, the bromide concentration was varied by one of three methods: by diluting sea-water with de-ionized water, adding bromide to river water and collecting natural waters at various salinities. In the first and second methods both the concentration of bromide and the concentration as well as the composition of dissolved organic matter were altered in a predictable and systematic manner. In the third method, only the concentration of bromide can be varied in a controlled and systematic way. The behavior of chlorine in these waters at doses of 10, 5 and 1 mg l⁻¹ were examined. The molar ratio of bromide to added hypohalite ranged from < 0.1 to 60. Higher chlorine demand was observed when hypohalite existed primarily as hypobromite rather than hypochlorite. The consumption of hypohalite occurred in two stages. The increase in chlorine demand in the presence of bromide was due primarily to the elevated initial chlorine demand occurred during the first stage although the rate of chlorine consumption in the second stage might also increase from a solution containing mostly hypochlorite to one dominated by hypobromite. In estuarine waters, the unpredictable combined effects of the changes in the concentration of bromide and the concentration as well as the composition of dissolved organic matter led to randomly variable chlorine demand from one location to another. Thus, if chlorinated estuarine waters of variable salinities are used as a coolant, empirical studies on the chlorine demand of the waters must be made at frequent intervals in order to avoid overchlorination or underchlorination.     

Molecular weight distributions in activated sludge effluents

Bench scale activated sludge reactors with a solids retention time of 9 days were operated at all combinations of two levels of pH, dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration and feed type (pH 6 and 8; DO 1 and 7 mgl⁻¹; simple and complex feed). Long-term composite samples were collected and adjusted to neutral pH and equal concentrations of alkalinity and ammonia nitrogen. The molecular weight distributions of the soluble organic carbon (SOC) in the samples were determined by ultrafiltration through membranes with nominal rejection values of 1000, 10,000, 25,000 and 100,000. The distributions were generally bimodal with the bulk of the SOC in the largest and smallest fractions. Following ozonation to a residual of 0.30–0.35 mg 1⁻¹ after 5 min contact, the distributions were shifted so that more of the SOC appeared in the lowest molecular weight fraction although significant amounts remained in the other fractions. When samples were breakpoint chlorinated to a residual of 5–10 mg l⁻¹ free available chlorine after 2 h contact, very little high molecular weight material remained and almost all of the SOC appeared in the low molecular weight fraction. By using ³⁶Cl during breakpoint chlorination it was also possible to evaluate the distribution of organically bound chlorine among the molecular weight fractions and this revealed that the bulk of it was associated with organics having molecular weight less than 1000.     

Caracterisation de la matiere organique dissoute presente dans les eaux en cours d'affinage: Influence des traitements appliques et du climatCharacterization of dissolved organic matter in surface waters through polishing treatment: Influence of applied treatments and climate

Dissolved organic matter in treated surface waters (clarified, possibly ozonized, then GAC-filtered, Fig. 1), is fractionated by ultrafiltration into five molecular classes with MW < 300, 300–1000, 1000–5000, 5000–10000 or > 10,000. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC), oxidizability by KMnO₄ in hot alkaline medium and u.v. absorbances at 240, 254, 280, 300 nm are measured. Fourteen series of samples, distributed on an annual biological cycle are analysed (Figs 2 and 3); multivariate statistical analyses are performed.

By PCA (principal component analysis), variations in water supplying the activated carbon units appear to depend for 47% on ozonation and temperature; but river flow rate and quantity of flocculant added are no longer responsible for such variations (Fig. 4). Three groups of water appear (Fig. 5), according to the applied ozone level (zero, medium, high); among the medium ozonized waters, the cold ones differ from temperate ones.

Ozonation diminishes molecular size of compounds (Table 1): three major classes with MW < 5000 are present in non- or medium-ozonized waters, but only two, with MW < 1000, remain in highly ozonized waters. This treatment destroys MW > 10,000 and even 1000–5000 ones and yields MW < 300 products; it also minimizes u.v. absorbances and oxidizability. Seasonal variations occur in DOC content of medium ozonized waters, with maxima values in winter or spring and minima in summer or autumn (Fig. 6): occurrence of MW < 300 compounds follows that of DOC, but the presence of 5000–10000 ones is minimal in winter.

Quality of GAC-filtered waters varies by 19% with temperature (Fig. 7); ozonation effects are minimized: only previously highly ozonized waters distinguished themselves from the others (Fig. 8). Waters, non or medium ozonized before GAC-filtration, are divided into cold, temperate and warm waters. One, two or three major classes of compounds with MW < 5000, remain in GAC-filtered waters, according to the ozone level applied previously. This filtration reduces DOC by 17%, decreases u.v. absorbances and oxidizability and gives water with the same 0.30 mg O₂ mg⁻¹ C ratio (Table 2): MW 1000–5000 class is much less oxidizable after ozonation-GAC filtration but, on the other hand, MW < 300 class appears rather less oxidizable without ozonation before biological filtration. DOC content in effluent follows that in influent (Fig. 9), but variations are less marked. Total efficiency of the filtration increases with temperature, but behaviour of compounds differs from one class to another: MW 300–1000 and 5000–10000 classes are the most affected; MW 1000–5000 is not really modified. Elimination of MW < 300 or 5000–10000 compounds depends on temperature and may be due to biological phenomena, a but that of 1000–5000 and > 10,000 classes, independent of this parameter, may be related to adsorption mechanisms.     

Etude physicochimique de la chloration de l'eau de mer artificielle contenant de l'azote ammoniacal

Chlorine added to ammonia-free sea-water gives rise to a fast and quantitative oxidation of bromide to hypobromite and hypobromous acid. However as ammonia nitrogen levels commonly found in coastal and estuarine sea-water are sufficiently high and thus not negligible compared to the chlorine dose introduced formation of monochloramine to compete with oxidation of bromine leading to bromamines. The relative importance of these two reactional pathways is estimated considering both bromine determination and study of the electron absorption spectra of chlorinated seawater. In order to avoid substitution reactions taking place in the presence of organic compounds, preliminary experiments have been carried out in artificial and u.v. photo-oxidized sea-water.The nature of the species formed depends on the molar ratio added chlorine vs ammonia-nitrogen concentration of seawater. With Cl/N larger than 1.5, only bromide derivatives are obtained: dibromamine, tribromamine and bromine(I) (HBrO + BrO⁻). Cl/N smaller than 1.5 leads to a mixture of monochloramine, dibromamine and some monobromamine: monochloramine clearly predominates when ammonium concentrations reach higher values. Stoichiometry of ammonia to nitrogen oxidation by chlorine explains this ratio of 1.5 and a strong decrease of the total oxidant concentration is observed under these conditions. Bromamines decompose within the following 30–60 min; only stable compounds remain: either bromine(I) or monochloramine according to Cl/N values. A similar behaviour is observed in natural seawater previously doped with ammonia as to the nature of the products formed for a given Cl/N ratio; however, bromamines decompose more rapidly due to bromination of organic components.     

Applicability of light absorbance and fluorescence as measures of concentration and molecular size of dissolved organic carbon in humic Lake Tjeukemeer

Ultrafiltration results of humic Lake Tjeukemeer water demonstrated that light absorbance at 250 nm (E250), fluorescence (λ_ex = 365 nm; λ_em = 470 nm) (F), and concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) vary with the molecular size (5–200 nm) of the dissolved organic matter. The ratio of the ultrafiltered organic fractions increased with decreasing molecular size of the DOC. However, under field conditions this ratio failed to predict molecular size distribution.These results limit the applicability of E250 and F as measures of molecular size and concentration of DOC. However, E250 measurements can be made rapidly and easily, and so are useful in estimating (30%) concentrations of DOC in humic waters.     

The influence of disinfection on aquatic biodegradable organic carbon formation

The aim of this paper was to assess the extent of biodegradable dissolved organic carbon formation upon disinfection of water with chlorine dioxide. Wide diversity of natural waters has been subjected to reactions with various amounts of ClO₂. For comparison examined waters have also been treated with ozone and chlorine. The application of chlorine dioxide and ozone significantly changed the molecular weight distribution of aquatic organic matter. As a result significant amounts of biodegradable carboxylic acids and aldehydes were generated. The formic, acetic, oxalic and ketomalonic acids as well as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, glyoxal, methylglyoxal were identified. The productivity of aldehydes calculated for all examined waters and disinfectants amounted 12.7-47.7 μg mg⁻¹ DOC in the case of ozonation, 1.3-8.1 μg mg⁻¹ DOC after chlorination and 1.7-9.4 μg mg⁻¹ DOC for ClO₂ treatment. The highest total concentration of carboxylic acids was determined after the ozonation processes. In this case the organic acids' formation potential was in the range 10.8-62.8 μg mg⁻¹ DOC. Relatively high formation potential (5.3-17.9 μg mg⁻¹ DOC) was determined after the oxidation with ClO₂ as well. In the case of chlorination, the productivity of organic acids was low and did not exceed 3.4 μg mg⁻¹ DOC. The relatively high correlation between BDOC formation and carboxylic acids' formation potential was observed. Thus, carboxylic acids' formation potential may be used as a measure of water potential to form BDOC.     

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.     

Comportement des acides amines dissous du milieu marin apres injection de chlore

Evidence that dissolved organic matter is one of the most significant sources of chlorine demand of seawaters (Fig. 1) used in cooling circuits is now well recognized. Nevertheless the specific role of the different kinds of compounds which form this organic material has seldom been studied and even less quantified; this is not surprising as less than 20% of the organic substances are identified. In this paper our objective was to define more quantitatively the effect of the dissolved free and combined amino-acids in the oxidant decay. Two main criteria justified the choice of these solutes:

1. (i)|the reactivity of chlorine and/or bromine towards amino groups;

2. (ii)|the role of these nitrogenous compounds in some biological mechanisms.

What happens to the halogen added and to the organic species during the first 20 min was investigated. The experimental conditions selected (concentrations, salinity, temperature and acidity) are those encountered in practice.The reactivity of the amino-acids towards chlorine is of course influenced by physicochemical properties such as the pH, but is particularly dependent upon the nature of the amino group. Whereas β and γ free amino-acids (Fig. 3) as also combined species (proteins) (Table 2) yield stable halogenocompounds like those produced with aliphatic amines (Fig. 2), α free amino-acids (COOH---CH---NH₂)|R on the other hand yield unstable haloamines which decompose rapidly (Fig. 4). Regarding these results, only the reactivity of the α compounds was afterwards studied as they are the largest fraction of the free amino-acids encountered in natural waters.After investigating the role of the side groups R in the kinetics and the efficiency of the consumption of the oxidant we examined, by liquid chromatography, the depletion of the nitrogenous species (Table 3). In each case the HPLC data relative to changes in the level of the organic compounds agree with those reported for the residual oxidant decay.A few experiments carried out on samples of seawater (Table 4) treated with 1 ppm of chlorine showed that around 5% of chlorine which dissipated during the first 3 min are consumed by the dissolved free amino-acids, the depletion of which is about 50%.     

2. Comparison of the disinfection by-product formation potentials between a wastewater effluent and surface waters

In this study, the chemical reactivity with chlorine as measured by disinfection by-product formation potential (DBPFP) is compared among samples of a wastewater effluent and surface waters. Water samples that had higher anthropogenic impacts were found to have higher overall DBPFP due primarily to higher dissolve organic carbon (DOC) concentrations. Effluent-derived organic matter (EfOM), however, was found to be less reactive with chlorine on a per DOC concentration basis. Yet, EfOM had higher proportions of brominated DBP, which may be associated with greater health risks. In this research, pyrolysis-GC/MS was used to establish relationship between structural features of DOC and DBPFP. We show that there is a critical set of pyrolysis fragments that separates the waters based on the degree of anthropogenic influence. Even though no single chemical marker was found to be indicative of the formation potentials of different classes of DBP, combinations of chemical fragments were found to be associated with the formation potentials of total trihalomethane (THM), brominated THM, total haloacetic acid (HAA), and brominated HAA for this set of samples. In contrast to previous work, the phenolic signature of these samples was negatively correlated to DBPFP, whereas strong relationships were found between DBPFP and the organic nitrogen and halogenated signatures.     

Simultaneous determination of dissolved organic carbon and phosphorus in waters using flame ionization and photometric detectors

An apparatus with flame ionization and photometric detectors was assembled for the simultaneous determination of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and phosphorus (DP) in waters. The optimum operating conditions were described. The long-term precision (relative standard deviation) is 5.8% for DOC and 5.2% for DP. The detection limits are 0.09 μg ml⁻¹ for DOC and 0.03 μg ml⁻¹ for DP. The responses for various DOC and DP compounds agreed almost with those obtained by combustion-infrared and persulfate digestion-colorimetric methods, respectively. DOC and DP in several water samples were determined by this method and other methods, and the results obtained by those methods were discussed.     

Chlorine demand in deep sea-water

Samples of deep sea-water were obtained at 25, 250 and 2000 m from the Sargasso Sea. The chlorine demands in these samples at any given contact time decrease with the depth at which the sample was obtained. The dissipation of chlorine occurs in two phases. The consumption rate of chlorine is similar in all three samples during the second phase at about 1 × 10⁻⁴ mg l⁻¹ min⁻¹. The difference in chlorine demand is caused primarily by the decrease in the organic chlorine demand, which occurs during the first phase of reactions, with depth reflecting the decreasing amount and increasing inertness of dissolved organic matter. The organic chlorine demands at 25, 250 and 2000 m are 0.9, 0.5 and 0.4 mg l⁻¹ respectively. These organic chlorine demands are significantly lower than those observed in coastal sea-waters with similar dose of added chlorine of about 5 mg l⁻¹. If sea-waters from various depths are available, deeper sea-water would be preferred as a coolant because of its smaller chlorine demand and lower initial temperature.     

The effect of naturally occurring organic substances on the growth of a red tide organism

The effect of soil extracts on the growth of the Florida red tide organism. Gymnodiniam brere. was investigated to determine the potential effect of organic matter in rivers on red tide outbreaks. Soil from a peat bog was extracted with water, filtered through a membrane filter (0.22 μm), then fractionated into four molecular-weight fractions (0–500; 500–1000; 1000–10,000; and 10,000) by means of Amicon Diaflo ultramembranes. Fractions were analyzed for organic carbon, iron and manganese. The effect of different amounts of the last three fractions on the rate of growth and maximum cell population of G. breve cultures was determined. No substantial change in the growth constant (K_e) with change of concentration of added fraction was noted, nor was there a marked variation from one fraction to another. The maximum cell population increased with an increase in the amount of added organic extract; and using the second and third fractions, the increase was related to the amount of iron present (linear correlation coefficient, r = 0.994, P = 0.001); the last molecular-weight fraction showed a similar relationship, though the effectiveness in increasing N_max was less (on the basis of amount or iron added). The results were compared with the effect of adding gibberellic acid, which is a naturally occurring hormone that reportedly reduces the time for maximum cell populations to be attained.     

Comparison of NOM character in selected Australian and Norwegian drinking waters

Observations from many countries around the world during the past 10-20 years indicate increasing natural organic matter (NOM) concentration levels in water sources, due to issues such as global warming, changes in soil acidification, increased drought severity and more intensive rain events. In addition to the trend towards increasing NOM concentration, the character of NOM can vary with source and time (season). The great seasonal variability and the trend towards elevated NOM concentration levels impose challenges to the water industry and the water treatment facilities in terms of operational optimisation and proper process control. The aim of this investigation was to compare selected raw and conventionally treated drinking water sources from different hemispheres with regard to NOM character which may lead to better understanding of the impact of source water on water treatment. Results from the analyses of selected Norwegian and Australian water samples showed that Norwegian NOM exhibited greater humic nature, indicating a stronger bias of allochthonous versus autochthonous organic origin. Similarly, Norwegian source waters had higher average molecular weights than Australian waters. Following coagulation treatment, the organic character of the recalcitrant NOM in both countries was similar. Differences in organic character of these source waters after treatment were found to be related to treatment practice rather than origin of the source water. The characterisation techniques employed also enabled identification of the coagulation processes which were not necessarily optimised for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal. The reactivity with chlorine as well as trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP) of the treated waters showed differences in behaviour between Norwegian and Australian sources that appeared to be related to residual higher molecular weight organic material. By evaluation of changes in specific molecular weight regions and disinfection parameters before and after treatment, correlations were found that relate treatment strategy to chlorine demand and DBP formation.     

Formation of organic chloramines during water disinfection - chlorination versus chloramination

Many of the available studies on formation of organic chloramines during chlorination or chloramination have involved model organic nitrogen compounds (e.g., amino acids), but not naturally occurring organic nitrogen in water. This study assessed organic chloramine formation during chlorination and chloramination of 16 natural organic matter (NOM) solutions and 16 surface waters which contained dissolved organic nitrogen (DON). Chlorination rapidly formed organic chloramines within 10 min, whereas chloramination formed organic chloramination much more slowly, reaching the maximum concentration between 2 and 120 h after the addition of monochloramine into the solutions containing DON. The average organic chloramine formation upon addition of free chlorine and monochloramine into the NOM solutions were 0.78 mg-Cl₂/mg-DON at 10 min and 0.16 mg-Cl₂/mg-DON at 24 h, respectively. Organic chloramine formation upon chlorination and chloramination increased as the dissolved organic carbon/dissolved organic nitrogen (DOC/DON) ratio decreased (i.e., DON contents increased). Chlorination of molecular weight (10,000 Da) fractionated water showed that molecular weight of DON would not impact the amount of organic chloramines produced. Comparison of three different disinfection schemes at water treatment plants (free chlorine, preformed monochloramine, and chlorine/ammonia additions) indicated organic chloramine formation could lead to a possible overestimation of disinfection capacity in many chloraminated water systems that add chlorine followed by an ammonia addition to form monochloramine.     

Dissolved organic carbon of coal slurry transport water

The qualitative and quantitative occurrence and fate of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) leaching into coal slurry transport water was examined in laboratory-generated coal slurries and wastewaters from the Black Mesa coal slurry pipeline. Laboratory slurries were formulated for both western coals (Wyodak, Montana Rosebud and Black Mesa) and eastern coals (Illinois No. 6 and Pittsburgh No. 8). Sephadex G-25 elution profiles and ultrafiltration studies indicate that the majority of the organic compounds in western coal slurry wastewaters were lower (less than 1000) molecular weight species (62% for Wyodak and 74% for Montana Rosebud). Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) for these particular wastewaters ranged from 50 to 150 mg l⁻¹ as determined through the use of an electrolytic respirometer. Also, there was a concomitant 51–74% reduction in the DOC levels in the wastewaters. This removal was primarily due to the removal of the lower (< 1000) molecular weight compounds by the seed inoculum. There was no evidence for the presence of mutagenic organics in the raw wastewater.     

GC/MS analysis of XAD-2 extracts of superchlorinated septage

Chlorinated and brominated organic compounds formed by the superchlorination (1000–2000 mg 1⁻¹ dose) of a septage are detected by a new mass spectral search system. The system produces a “limited cluster search” (LCS) chromatogram indicating compounds which have a specific number of chlorine and/or bromine atoms. The new technique has been combined with traditional GC/MS methods and an XAD resin/microcoulometric halogen method to demonstrate the formation of new halogenated species in the superchlorination process.     

Comparative study on organic constituents in polluted and unpolluted inland aquatic environments—II: Features of fatty acids for polluted and unpolluted waters

Fatty acids were analyzed for polluted river waters from the Tokyo area and unpolluted river, brook, reservoir and pond waters from the Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands to elucidate their features for polluted and unpolluted waters. Fatty acids ranging from the carbon chain length of C₈-C₃₄ including unsaturated and branched acids were found with the great predominance of even-carbon numbers and lower molecular weight ranges (C₁₃–C₁₉) in the water samples from the Tokyo area and Ogasawara Islands. It was thus confirmed that no marked changes in fatty acid composition between polluted and unpolluted waters are absent. However, the total contents of the acids (average, 270 ± 120 μg 1⁻¹ at 90% confidence limits) as well as the FAC (fatty acids as carbon)/TOC (total organic carbon, 2.6 ± 0.93%) and FAC/EOC (extractable organic carbon with ethyl acetate, 16 ± 6.7%) of river water samples from the Tokyo area were considerably higher than those of the waters from the Ogasawara Islands (58 ± 29 μg 1⁻¹, 0.79 ± 0.48% and 2.1 ± 0.51%, respectively). These higher values for the Tokyo area should be due to sewage.A filtering method showed that most of fatty acids (>95%) was present in particulate fractions. In addition, the content of free fatty acids was fairly lower than that of combined fatty acids. Further, unsaturated fatty acids were detected only in combined forms both in particulate and dissolved fractions. They are considered to be present as esters in polluted and unpolluted waters.     

Dissolved organic nitrogen removal during water treatment by aluminum sulfate and cationic polymer coagulation

Coagulation of three surface waters was conducted with aluminum salt and/or cationic polymer to assess dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) removal. Coagulation with aluminum sulfate removed equal or slightly lower amounts of DON as compared to dissolved organic carbon (DOC). At aluminum sulfate dosages up to 5 mg per mg DOC, the cationic polymer improved DON removal by an additional 15% to 20% over aluminum sulfate alone. At very high aluminum sulfate dosages (>8 mg aluminum sulfate per mg DOC), however, the cationic polymer addition negligibly increased DON removal. Molecular weight fractionation before and after coagulation experiments indicated that cationic polymer addition can increase the removal of all molecular weight fractions of DON with the highest molecular weight fraction (>10,000 Da) being preferentially removed. Results indicated that the DON added as part of the cationic polymer was almost completely removed at optimum aluminum sulfate and polymer doses.     

The use of uric acid as a method of tracing domestic sewage discharges in riverine, estuarine and coastal water environments

The chemical tracking of sewage effluents discharged into fresh and saline waters presents difficulties, especially in estuaries. The main difficulty is caused by the dissolved constituents being used to monitor the effluent also occurring naturally at similar levels. Uric acid is present at significant levels in untreated sewage and is not normally found in unpolluted waters. Until now no suitable routine method has been available for uric acid estimation in fresh and saline waters at levels normally encountered in the environment. In this paper we describe a recently developed technique using high-performance liquid chromatography which estimates uric acid in both fresh and saline waters in the range 1–10,000 μg l⁻¹ with a precision (2σ) of ±20% at 2 μg l⁻¹, ±4% at 40 μg l⁻¹ and ±2% at 10 mg l⁻¹.