Organic Amines Enhance the Formation of Iodinated Trihalomethanes during Chlorination of Iodide-Containing Waters

Abstract

The effects of organic amines (OAs) including glycine (Gly), sarcosine (Sar), and triethanolamine (Tea), representing primary, secondary, and tertiary amines, respectively, on iodinated trihalomethanes (I-THMs) formation during chlorination of iodide (I-)-containing waters were investigated. The total concentration of I-THMs formed in the co-presence of an OA and natural organic matter (NOM) was more than 3 times the sum of those formed in the presence of an OA alone and NOM alone, as OAs competed for free chlorine (FC) to form organic chloramines. Taking Gly as an example, the transformation of I- was determined. In the absence of NOM, the yields of iodate (IO3-) were 89%, 60%, and nearly 0 at [Gly]o/[FC]o = 0:1, 3:4, and 1:1, but 0, 2%, and 43% for hypoiodous acid (HOI), respectively. In the presence of NOM, as [Gly]o/[FC]o increased from 0:1 to 1:1, the yield of IO3- decreased from 66% to 0, while that of I-THMs increased from 2.9% to 16.1%. The competition of FC by OAs inhibited the oxidation of HOI to IO3-, and the formed organic chloramines can oxidize I- to HOI, thus promoting I-DBPs formation. Finally, the enhanced I-THMs formation was verified in real waters.