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ALTERNATIVE DISINFECTANTS FOR DRINKING WATER
Citation:
Richardson, S., A. Thruston,Jr, T W. Collette, T. Caughran, K. Patterson, AND B. Lykins, Jr. ALTERNATIVE DISINFECTANTS FOR DRINKING WATER. Ann Arbor Press, Ann Arbor, MI, (1998).
Description:
Using a combination of spectral identification techniques - gas chromatography coupled with low-and high-resolution electron-impact mass spectrometry (GC/EI-MS), low-and high-resolution chemical ionization mass spectrometry (GC/CI-MS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (GC/FT-IR), we identified many drinking water disinfection by-products (DBPs) formed using alternative disinfectants. The alternative disinfectants included ozone, chlorine dioxide, chloramine, and titanium dioxide with ultraviolet irradiation. Many of these by-products are not present in any spectral libraries and are not on any regulatory list. Because some alternative disinfectants, such as ozone and TiO2/UV, do not persist in water, full-scale drinking water treatment plants typically need to use a secondary disinfectant, such as chlorine or chloramine (in addition to the primary disinfectant) to maintain a disinfectant residual throughout the distribution system. Because of this, we also investigated the effect of secondary chlorine and chloramine treatment on the formation of DBPs. Secondary chlorination produced numerous chlorinated DBPs, among them some halomethanes. Chloramine also produced chlorinated DBPs, but they were fewer in number and lower in concentration than those produced with secondary chlorination.