Trihalomethane, haloacetonitrile, and chloral hydrate formation potentials of organic carbon fractions from sub-tropical forest soils

Abstract

Forest landscapes represent the major land-cover type for the watersheds of the East River, which is the source of water for 40 million people in South China. Forest soils with high levels of organic carbon are a potential terrestrial source of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) into the East River. DOC is of great concern, since it can form carcinogenic disinfection byproducts (DBPs) during drinking water treatment. In this study, soils from three altitudes (200, 450 and 900 m) in the Xiangtou Mountain Nature Reserve in South China, representing soils from evergreen moon forest, transitional evergreen broadleaf forest, and evergreen broadleaf forest, respectively, were evaluated for their potential contributions of DBP precursors into the East River. The water extractable organic carbon (WEOC) in three forest soils was physically and chemically fractionated into particulate organic carbon (1.2–0.45 μm), colloidal organic carbon (0.45–0.22 μm), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) (<0.22 μm), hydrophobic acid (HPOA), transphilic acid and hydrophilic acid and were analysed for the formation potentials of trihalomethanes (THMs), haloacetonitriles (HANs), and chloral hydrate (CHD). Also, soils were incubated at 15, 25 and 35 °C for 14 d in darkness to examine the impact of temperature effects on the availability and characteristics of WEOC. The extraction study showed that the amount of WEOC was proportional to soil organic carbon content, of which about 1% was water extractable. Regardless of soil type, DOC and HPOA were the most reactive fractions in forming THMs, CHD, and HANs. Production of DOC and HPOA in WEOC increased over 14 d incubation as incubation temperature increased, but the temperature did not alter the distribution of physical and chemical fractions and their reactivity in DBP formation. Results suggest higher inputs of DOC and DBP precursors from forest watersheds into source water may result in a warmer environment.