Control of Disinfection Byproduct (DBP) Formation by Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs)

Abstract

The increasingly populated and diversified organics and halides as disinfection byproduct (DBP) precursors in drinking water sources are raising concerns about the formation of DBPs. These precursors can have natural and anthropogenic origins, and a large number of DBP issues nowadays are associated with the elevated levels of anthropogenic occurrence of the precursors. Although many review papers and books have been published on DBP control using membrane, electrochemical, and adsorptive techniques, there is a lack of a review on the application of direct DBP oxidation or advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for DBP control, especially for halides and emerging organic precursors (e.g., emerging contaminants (ECs)). This work intends to fill the gap and document the most recent advances on such topics. The applicability, advantages, and disadvantages of these approaches are comprehensively discussed and compared with those based on other techniques. The removal of halides and ECs can be achieved by both radical and non-radical processes, while the direct removal of DBPs usually requires the participation of radicals. With the rapid advances of AOPs with respect to a large selection of oxidant types, activation approaches, and reaction mechanisms, one can easily formulate strategies to accommodate specific water treatment requirements.