• Advances in environmental research
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.181-189
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• 2012

Trihalomethanes, produced as a result of chlorination of drinking water, are considered a potential health hazard. The trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP) of a raw water source may indicate the maximum trihalomethanes (THMs) that are likely to be produced when chlorine reacts with natural organic matter (NOM) present in the water. A study was conducted to evaluate the THMFP in seven different drinking water sources in the vicinity of Kalpakkam, a rural township, on the east coast of India. Water from seven stations were analysed for THMFP. THMFP was compared with surrogate parameters such as dissolved organic carbon (DOC), ultraviolet absorbance ($UV_{254}$) and bromide. The data showed that THMFP was high in water from open wells as compared to closed bore wells, possibly due to more photosynthetic activity. Proximity to sea, and consequently the levels of bromide, was an important factor that influenced THM formation. THM surrogate parameters showed good correlation with THMFP.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.63-71
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• 2022

This study aimed to maximize the potential of fluorescence 3D excitation-emission matrix (EEM) for predicting the trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP) of DOM with various sources. Fluorescence spectroscopy is a useful tool for characterizing dissolved organic matter (DOM). In this study, differential spectroscopy was applied to EEM for the prediction of THMFP, in which the difference between the EEM before and after chlorination was taken into account to obtain the differential EEM (DEEM). For characterization of the original EEM or the DEEM, the maximum intensities of several different fluorescence regions in EEM, fluorescence EEM regional integration (FRI), and humification index (HIX) were calculated and used for the surrogates for THMFP prediction. After chlorination, the fluorescence intensity decreased by 77% to 93%. In leaf-derived and effluent DOM, there was a significant decrease in the protein-like peak, while a more pronounced decrease was observed in the humic-like peak of river DOM. In general, leaf-derived and effluent DOM exhibited a relatively lower THMFP than the river DOM. Our results were consistent with the high correlations between humic-like fluorescence and THMFP previously reported. In this study, HIX (r= 0.815, p<0.001), FRI region V (r=0.727, p<0.001), humic-like peak (r= 0.827, p<0.001) from DEEM presented very high correlations with THMF P. When the humic-like peak intensity was converted to a logarithmic scale, a higher correlation was obtained (r= 0.928, p<0.001). This finding suggests that the humic-like peak in DEEM can serve as a universal predictor for THM formation of DOM with various origins.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.1031-1041
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• 2012

This study was carried out to investigate the characteristics of disinfection by-products (DBPs-trihalomethanes (THMs), haloacetic acids (HAAs) and haloacetonitriles (HANs) formation in chlorination of principal raw waters used for drinking water on Jeju Island, Korea. The domestic water supply of other area and humic acid solution (HA) were used as a reference point. The effects of chlorine contact time, solution temperature and pH on DBPs formation potential (DBPFP) were investigated for raw waters. In addition, the effect of $Br^-$ was studied for HA. The DBPFP (THMFP, HAAFP and HANFP) were increased with increasing chlorine contact time. Comparing the individual DBPFPs for raw waters, they decreased in the order of HAAFP > THMFP ${\geq}$ HANFP. As the solution temperature was increased, the THMFP, HAAFP and HANFP increased. With increasing the solution pH, the THMFP was increased, but HAAFP and HANFP were decreased. With the addition of 0.3 mg/L $Br^-$ for HA, the DBPFP was increased and the major chemical species changed: from trichloromethane to dibromochloromethane and tribromomethane for THMs; from dichloroacetic acid and trichloroacetic acid to tribromoacetic acid for HAAs; and from dichloroacetonitrile to dibromoacetonitrile for HANs.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.84-98
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• 2000

Control of Trihalomethanes(THMs) is a major concern of many water treatment plants. A number of researchers have studied the effectiveness of activated carbon adsorption process in removing THMs or organic halogen compounds. Recently, attention has been paid to the biological activated carbon (BAC) treatment of THM precursors as an alternative to the carbon adsorption treatment because of its effectiveness as well as its low running cost. In this study, changes of THM formation potential(THMFP) and removal of substrates in the SBR effluent were investigated in an attempt to clarify the mechanisms of the decrease/increase of THMFP in the BAC treatment. The increase and decrease of THMFP concentrations were observed in effluents during prolonged operation. When PCP or DBS was feeded as substrate contained in SBR effluent, the THMFPs were easyly removed with TOCs removal. But the case of SBR effluent containing SDS or glycine was introduced, and when microbial growth came to its near steady state, the THMFPs of treated effluents were increased more or less in comparison to those in the influents. Such increases of THMFP coincided with the increase in microbial growth within the activated carbon fiber(ACF) column. In the case of only sucrose was feeded as substrate on ACF colume, THMFP concentrations of effluent were higher than those of influent. The THMFP concentration was significantly increased on inlet part of ACF column, which biomass inhabits abundantly, then they were decreased gradually. These increases mean production of the secondary THM precursors by biological activities, which can be removed by adsorption and biological degradation on ACF column.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.123-128
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• 2008

The Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) existing in a water includes both hydrophobic and hydrophilic substances however, most of the discussion focuses on hydrophobic substances. The hydrophobic fraction was easily removed by absorption or coagulation more than hydrophilic fraction. Therefore, control of the hydrophilic fraction is very important in water treatment process. This study is to determine the variation of DOC, the removal efficiency of DOC, and Trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP) after each stage of water treatment process by fractionating Natural Organic Matters (NOM) into hydrophobic and hydrophilic substance. DOC from raw water was fractionated at acidic pH (pH<2) using XAD 8 resin column, into two fraction : hydrophobic substance (i.e. humic substance) adsorbed on XAD 8 and hydrophilic substance which represent the organics contained in the final effluent. THMFP was carried out according to the following set condition: Cl2/DOC=4 mg/mg, incubation at $25^{\circ}C$ in darkness, pH 7 adjust with HCl or NaOH as necessary, and 72hour-contact time. THMs analyzed in this study were chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethan, and bromoform. Sewage was almost evenly split between the hydrophobic (56%) and hydrophilic fraction (44%). But, Aldrich humic substance (AHS) was found to contain less hydrophilics (14%) than hydrophobics (86%). The formation of THMs may depend on the source which is characterized by the composition of organic matters such as AHS and sewage. The THMFP yield of sewage and AHS were assessed as follows. The value of the THMFP reaction yield, AHS $172.65{\mu}g/mg$, is much higher than that of sewage $41.68{\mu}g/mg$. This illustrates possible significant difference in THMFP according to the component type and the proportion of organic matter existing in water source. Apparently AHS react with chlorine to produce more THMFP than do the smaller molecules found in sewage. Water treatment process may reduce THMFP, nevertheless residual DOC (the more hydrophilic substance) has significant THMFP. Further reduction in organic halide precursors requires application of alternative treatment techniques.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.785-797
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• 2006

The formation characteristics of trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) were investigated in chlorination of raw water of different organic mallet characteristics. The samples used in this study were hydrophobic (N-HPO) and hydrophilic fraction (N-HPI) (which were concentrated and separated from Nakdong river water), and humic acid (HA) (which is known as a strong hydrophobic acid) as a reference organic matter, the specific UV absorbance (SUVA) of which was 2.19, 1.15 and 7.92, respectively. With increasing chlorine contact time, THMFP and HAAFP (the formation potential of THMs and HAAs) increased, but their increase was different depending on the organic mallet characteristics (i.e., for N-HPI, THMFP was higher than HAAFP, but the inverse result was obtained for N-HPO and HA and the ratio between them was greater for HA), and the mainly formed chemical species were CHCI$_3$ in case of THMs and dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) and trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) in case of HAAs for N-HPO and HA (and the ratios of CHCI$_3$ to total THMs and DCAA and TCAA to total HAAs for HA were higher than those for N-HPO), but for N-HPI, the ratio of brominated THMs was a little higher than that of CHCI$_3$ and the ratio of DCAA and TCAA to total HAAs was lower than that of N-HPO, although they are main chemical species in case of HAAs. Comparing THMFP and HAAFP with the increase in bromide concentration added with those in not adding it, the former increased greatly and its increase was higher for the organic mallet with stronger hydrophobicity, but the latter was lower for N-HPO and N-HPI and was similar for HA. The main chemical species with increasing bromide concentration were CHBt$_3$ in case of THMs regardless of organic matter characteristics, and dibromoacetic acid (DBAA) for N-HPO and N-HPI, DBAA and tribromoacetic acid (TBAA) for HA in case of HAAs. With increasing reaction temperature and pH, THMFP and HAAFP increased for the former, but for the latter, THMFP increased and HAAFP decreased, although the rate of increase or decrease was different with organic mallet characteristics.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.126-132
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• 1997

Trihalomethanes (THMs) are formed during the chlorination of waters containing precusors compounds, most commonly humic substances, changes in pH, TOC, temperature, precusor source and concentration chlorine dosage, bromide level and reaction time directly influence trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP) and kinetics. A standard THMFP experiment was conducted for each water under the following conditions ; $20^{\circ}C$, pH 7.4, reaction time of 48hr, TOC 5.7mgC/L. A series of kinetic experiments was conducted for each water to provide THM formation under varying conditions of reaction time, pH, temperature and TOC, chlorine dosage. The resultant mutiple parameter powre function predicts a THM which allows direct calculation of THM, is $[THM]=0.00039(pH-2.81)[TOC][Cl_2]^{0.321}\;t^{0.266}\;T^{0.286}$ Characteristics of raw water in advanced drinking water treatment pilot plant were, TOC levels ran from 4.42~6.84mgC/L, pH 7.2~7.8, temperature $7.0{\sim}18.4^{\circ}C$, UV-254 absorbance $0.057{\sim}0.85cm^{-1}$, THM levels ranged from 0.031~0.049mgC/L.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.235-245
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• 1997

A pilot scale study for removing odor and trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP) was investigated in the standard water treatment plant equipped with ozone oxidation and granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption processes. The removal efficiency of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the pilot scale standard water treatment process (PSWTP) was about 25%, however, no more removal in the ozone oxidation process. On a GAC after 30 days operation, DOC removal efficiency was about 75%. Odor removal efficiency was about 30% in PSWTP, 60% in ozone oxidation, and almost complete in well as DOC. Mid-1 and 2 that showed breakthrough in odor inducing material as well as DOC. Mid-1 and 2 chlorination was able to reduce trihalomethanes (THM) by 25% compared to prechloringation, while postchlorination alone could reduce them by 30%.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.721-728
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• 2008

DBPs(Disinfection By-Products) are most formed through the reactions between chlorine and NOM(Natural Organic Matter) in water treatment. In this study, occurrence of DBPs including THMs(Trihalomethanes) is evaluated. Also, influencing factors by the seasons and raw water quality were investigated for correlation among them and the characteristics of THMs formation by prechlorination process. This study investigated the operation condition for THMs removal depending on raw water quality. Water treatment plant from intake station to gauging well flows for about 10 hours in Y Water Supply Office. It is limited to control of THMs formation because of excessive reaction time between chlorine and THMs precursors in the intake station. Therefore, as multi-points prechlorination from intake station to gauging well, THMs formation was decreased in the water treatment, and it was willing to prevent overdosage of chlorine. The concentration of THMs was 0.021 mg/L in the summer, 0.015 mg/L in the winter, respectively. Also, THMs formation showed that 0.013 mg/L in the water of gauging well after prechlorination, 0.014 mg/L in the flocculation/sedimentation/filtration, 0.016 mg/L in the water after postchlorination, respectively. THMFP(Trihalomethane Formation Potential) removed 42.7% and 50% through the flocculation/sedimentation and filtration, respectively, and it is similar TOC removal efficiency. In this study, multi-points prechlorination from intake station to gauging well decreases in contact time and concencrations of NOM and chlorine. Also, it decreases in THMs and amount of chlorine uesd. In the result of multi-points prechlorination in the summer, the concentration of THMs was 0.013mg/L in the treated water. In view of these facts, THMs formation can be decreased approximately 50%.