Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Wastewater reuse: modeling chloroform formation

  • Global pollution problems, Trends in Detection and Protection
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The chloroform is a substance that presents a significant risk to or via the aquatic environment. Thus, the emissions, discharges and losses of this substance need to be controlled during wastewater disinfection for reclamation and reuse purposes. Due to its carcinogenetic potential, multiple studies have been carried out on drinking and surface/natural waters but less consideration has been directed to the wastewater disinfection. The focus of this work studied the formation of chloroform during chlorination in prepared waters or artificial matrices that intended to simulate wastewaters stored in landscape ponds for green areas irrigation. The relation between reaction time, chlorine dose, and chloroform formation and the variation of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content during the reaction was assessed. A two-variant model was proposed to simulate breakpoint chlorination practices (when chlorine dose is equal or lower than chlorine demand) and super chlorination techniques (when chlorine dose tends to surpass chlorine demand). The model was validated by the application of actual data from working conditions of six wastewater treatment plants located in Algarve, Portugal, including other data obtained in previous research studies that were not used in the model development, and by comparing the predicted values with real measured ones.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Acero JL, Benitez FJ, Real FJ, Roldan G (2010) Kinetics of aqueous chlorination of some pharmaceuticals and their elimination from water matrices. Water Res 44:4158–4170. doi:10.1016/j.watres.2010.05.012

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Black & Veatch Corporation (2010) White’s handbook of chlorination and alternative disinfectants, 5th edn. Wiley, Hoboken

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown MA, Miller S, Emmert GL (2007) On-line purge and trap gas chromatography for monitoring of trihalomethanes in drinking water distribution systems. Anal Chim Acta 592:154–161. doi:10.1016/j.aca.2007.04.020

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chow AT, Guo F, Gao S, Breuer RS (2006) Size and XAD fractionations of trihalomethane precursors from soils. Chemosphere 62:1636–1646. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2005.06.039

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Deborde M, von Gunten U (2008) Reactions of chlorine with inorganic and organic compounds during water treatment-kinetics and mechanisms: a critical review. Water Res 42:13–51. doi:10.1016/j.watres.2007.07.025

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Defang M, Baoyu G, Yan W, Qinyan Y, Qian L (2015) Factors affecting trihalomethane formation and speciation during chlorination of reclaimed water. Water Sci Technol 72:616–622. doi:10.2166/wst.2015.260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Economic European Communities (1991) Council directive 91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991 concerning urban waste water treatment. Off J Eur Commun L 135:40–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Espigares E, Moreno E, Fernández-Crehuet M, Jiménez E, Espigares M (2013) Sustainable and effective control of trihalomethanes in the breakpoint chlorination of wastewater effluents. Environ Technol 34:231–237. doi:10.1080/09593330.2012.689371

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • European Commission (2000) Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for community action in the field of water policy. Off. J. Eur. Commun L 327:1–72

    Google Scholar 

  • European Commission (2005) Environmental quality standards (EQS), substance data sheet, priority substance No. 32, Trichloromethane, CAS-No. 67–66-3. Common implementation strategy for the water framework Directive. European Commission, Brussels

  • European Commission (2008) Directive 2008/105/EC of the European Parliament and of the council of 16 December 2008 on environmental quality standards in the field of water policy. Off. J. Eur. Commun L 348:84–97

    Google Scholar 

  • European Commission (2013) Directive 2013/39/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 August 2013 amending Directives 2000/60/EC and 2008/105/EC as regards priority substances in the field of water policy. Off. J. Eur. Commun L 226:1–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Garrido SE, Fonseca MG (2010) Speciation and kinetics of trihalomethane formation in drinking water in Mexico. Ground Water Monit Remediat 30:79–86. doi:10.1111/j.1745-6592.2009.01256.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giacomino A, Abollino O, Malandrino M, Mentasti E (2011) The role of chemometrics in single and sequential extraction assays: a review. Part II. Cluster analysis, multiple linear regression, mixture resolution, experimental design and other techniques. Anal Chim Acta 688:122–139. doi:10.1016/j.aca.2010.12.028

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hu JY, Wang ZS, Ng WJ, Ong SL (1999) Disinfection by-products in water produced by ozonation and chlorination. Environ Monit Assess 59:81–93. doi:10.1023/A:1006076204603

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hua G, Yeats S (2010) Control of trihalomethanes in wastewater treatment. Florida. Water Res:6–12

  • IBM (2011) IBM SPSS statistics, version 20 edn. IBM Corporation, Armonk

    Google Scholar 

  • International Organization for Standardization (2015) ISO 16075–2:2015 - Guidelines for treated wastewater use for irrigation projects—part 2: development of the project. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • Li S, Yang X, Qiu R, Wang P (2003) Contents and leaching of trihalomethane precursors in soils. Water Air Soil Pollut 145:35–52. doi:10.1023/A:1023608107968

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McCormick NJ, Porter M, Walsh ME (2010) Disinfection by-products in filter backwash water: implications to water quality in recycle designs. Water Res 44:4581–4589. doi:10.1016/j.watres.2010.05.042

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nikolaou AD, Golfinopoulos SK, Lekkas TD, Arhonditsis GB (2004) Factors affecting the formation of organic by-products during water chlorination: a bench-scale study. Water Air Soil Pollut 159:357–371. doi:10.1023/B:WATE.0000049189.61762.61

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pavón JLP, Martín SH, Pinto CG, Cordero BM (2008) Headspace–programmed temperature vaporizer–fast gas chromatography–mass spectrometry coupling for the determination of trihalomethanes in water. J Chromatogr A 1194:103–110. doi:10.1016/j.chroma.2008.04.037

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prochaska CA, Zouboulis AI (2003) Performance of intermittently operated sand filters: a comparable study, treating wastewaters of different origins. Water Air Soil Pollut 147:367–388. doi:10.1023/A:1024550000904

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rice EW, Baird RB, Eaton AD, Clesceri LS (2012) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 22th edn. American Public Health Association, American Water Works Association, Water Environment Federation, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Richardson SD, Plewa MJ, Wagner ED, Schoeny R, DeMarini DM (2007) Occurrence, genotoxicity, and carcinogenicity of regulated and emerging disinfection by-products in drinking water: a review and roadmap for research. Mutat Res 636:178–242. doi:10.1016/j.mrrev.2007.09.001

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sirivedhin T, Gray KA (2005) 2. Comparison of the disinfection by-product formation potentials between a wastewater effluent and surface waters. Water Res 39:1025–1036. doi:10.1016/j.watres.2004.11.031

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sun Y, Wu Q, Hu H, Tian J (2009a) Effect of ammonia on the formation of THMs and HAAs in secondary effluent chlorination. Chemosphere 76:631–637. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2009.04.041

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sun Y, Wu Q, Hu H, Tian J (2009b) Effects of operating conditions on THMs and HAAs formation during wastewater chlorination. J Hazard Mater 168:1290–1295. doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2009.03.013

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Walfish IH, Janauer GE (1979) A new approach to water disinfection: I. N,N-dimethylalkylbenzyl-polystyrene anion exchange resins as contact disinfectants. Water Air Soil Pollut 12:477–484. doi:10.1007/BF01046868

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang H, Liu D, Zhao Z, Cui F, Zhu Q, Liu T (2010) Factors influencing the formation of chlorination brominated trihalomethanes in drinking water. J Zhejiang Univ Sci A 11:143–150. doi:10.1631/jzus.A0900343

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Watson K, Shaw G, Leusch FDL, Knight NL (2012) Chlorine disinfection by-products in wastewater effluent: bioassay-based assessment of toxicological impact. Water Res 46:6069–6083. doi:10.1016/j.watres.2012.08.026

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xue S, Wang K, Zhao Q, Wei L (2009) Chlorine reactivity and transformation of effluent dissolved organic fractions during chlorination. Desalination 249:63–71. doi:10.1016/j.desal.2008.07.024

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xue S, Zhao Q, Ma X, Li F, Wang J, Wei L (2011) Comparison of dissolved organic matter fractions in a secondary effluent and a natural water. Environ Monit Assess 180:371–383. doi:10.1007/s10661-010-1793-9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang X, Shang C, Huang J (2005) DBP formation in breakpoint chlorination of wastewater. Water Res 39:4755–4767. doi:10.1016/j.watres.2005.08.033

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang F, Wang Y, Chu Y, Gao B, Yue Q, Yang Z, Li Q (2013) Reduction of organic matter and trihalomethane formation potential in reclaimed water from treated municipal wastewater by coagulation and adsorption. Chem Eng J 223:696–703. doi:10.1016/j.cej.2013.03.059

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the Portuguese Environment Agency and the FEDER, Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade-COMPETE, and the project PEst-OE/CTM/UI0195/2011 - Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), for their financial support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. ARH-Algarve, Portuguese Environment Agency, Faro, Portugal

    Anabela Rebelo

  2. Chemistry Department, University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal

    Isabel Ferra & Albertina Marques

  3. Institute of Engineering, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal

    Manuela Moreira Silva

  4. CIMA - Centre for Marine and Environmental Research, Faro, Portugal

    Manuela Moreira Silva

Authors
  1. Anabela Rebelo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Isabel Ferra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Albertina Marques
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Manuela Moreira Silva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anabela Rebelo.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Roland Kallenborn

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Rebelo, A., Ferra, I., Marques, A. et al. Wastewater reuse: modeling chloroform formation. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 24560–24566 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-7749-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-7749-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation