Formation of Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) in Surface Water Sources: Differential Ultraviolet (UV) Absorbance Approach

Abstract

Chlorination for drinking water forms various disinfection byproducts (DBPs) of trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs). Chlorination has been attributed to the destruction of activated aromatic sites of the natural organic matter (NOM) predominantly at electron rich sites. Experiments with Istanbul surface waters showed that the magnitude of the decrease in the ultraviolet (UV) absorbance at 272 nm (UV272) was an excellent indicator of destruction of these sites by chlorine. The main objective of the present study is to develop the differential UV272 absorbance (ΔUV272) related models for the prediction of the formation of THM, HAA, and their species in raw water samples from Terkos, Buyukcekmece, and Omerli lakes under different chlorination conditions. Significant factors affecting DBP formation in the raw waters were identified through numerical and graphical techniques. The R2 values of the models varied between 0.94 and 0.97, indicating excellent predictive ability for THM4 and HAA9 in the raw waters. The models were validated using additional data. The results of this study concluded that addition of ΔUV272 parameter into THM4 and HAA9 models make the prediction of these DBP compounds more precisely than those of DBP models developed in the past. A better understanding of these modeling systems will help the water treatment plant operators to minimize the DBP formation, providing a healthier and better drinking water quality as well as identifying strategies to improve water treatment and disinfection processes.