Grantee Research Project Results
2012 Progress Report: Fluoride, DBP Precursors, and Particles: Simultaneous Removal with Aluminum Salts a Solution for Small Drinking Water Systems
EPA Grant Number: R835176Title: Fluoride, DBP Precursors, and Particles: Simultaneous Removal with Aluminum Salts a Solution for Small Drinking Water Systems
Investigators: Lawler, Desmond , Katz, Lynn
Institution: The University of Texas at Austin
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Project Period: December 1, 2011 through November 30, 2014 (Extended to June 19, 2016)
Project Period Covered by this Report: December 1, 2011 through November 30,2012
Project Amount: $499,357
RFA: Research and Demonstration of Innovative Drinking Water Treatment Technologies in Small Systems (2011) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Drinking Water , Water
Objective:
The goals of this project are to (1) develop a treatment system for the simultaneous removal of fluoride, natural organic matter (NOM), and particles from natural waters that are used as drinking water sources, and (2) demonstrate the efficacy of the system through small-scale pilot testing of a continuous flow system using a real drinking water source. Because NOM is the precursor of many disinfection by-products (DBPs), this treatment system also will mitigate potential DBP problems. The system will be specifically designed for small water systems (SWS) in recognizing the limited capital and personnel resources available. The treatment system will exploit the favorable interactions of all three contaminants with aluminum (oxy)hydroxides.
Progress Summary:
We proposed a three-phase study: Mechanistic studies, Laboratory-scale demonstration, and Pilot-Scale demonstration. We have essentially completed all of Phase I: the mechanistic studies on the precipitation process, ligand adsorption (of fluoride, synthetic organics as possible surrogates of NOM, and actual NOM), and the stability or dissolution of the precipitant(s) in the presence of the ligands. We are in the process of accomplishing Phase II, having completed many tests on synthetic waters and now embarking on real waters. Phase III has not yet begun.
Future Activities:
We have obtained water from a water utility near Austin, Texas, that has a substantial fluoride concentration (4.58 mg/L). This water is a groundwater, and therefore has very low particle and NOM concentrations; the utility blends this water with water from other wells before distributing to its customers. The groundwater is quite useful to us for the next phase of experimentation, moving from the synthetic water made in our laboratory to a natural water with its greater complexity. We currently also are investigating the possibility of obtaining more surface waters with high fluoride content. We have identified some utilities in Texas that appear (on the basis of public records) to have raw waters that are very well suited to our research, but have not yet contacted these utilities to try to obtain water from them, and ultimately work on-site with their water.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 14 publications for this projectProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.