Comparative Study of the Effect of Vacuum-Ultraviolet Irradiation on Natural Organic Matter of Different Sources
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 140, Issue 3
Abstract
Natural organic matter (NOM) present in surface water sources undergoes significant structural and chemical changes during the application of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV)–based advanced oxidation process (AOP), which leads to the formation of undesired by-products such as aldehydes. Partial NOM mineralization can occur depending on the fluence received. In this paper, the VUV-induced degradation of NOM and the subsequent formation of by-products were experimentally studied. Two natural waters (Trepanier Creek and Capilano Reservoir, in British Columbia, Canada) and two synthetic waters (Suwannee River, Southern Georgia and Northern Florida; Nordic Reservoir, Vallsjøen, Skarnes, Norway) were used. While the process started with partial oxidation of NOM, extensive irradiation (i.e., high fluence) led to complete mineralization of NOM. The rates of mineralization were greatly dependent on the nature of NOM and on the presence of inorganic compounds in the water matrix, such as carbonates and bicarbonates. A faster mineralization rate was obtained with waters containing NOM with a lower average molecular weight. Size exclusion chromatography analysis showed that high-molecular-weight (HMW) molecules were readily degraded, even from the beginning of the treatment. The fraction of low-molecular-weight (LMW) compounds also reduced, but at a slower rate, largely because LMW compounds were both formed through partial degradation of HMW compounds and degraded by hydroxyl radicals. The concentration of aldehydes and trihalomethane formation potentials increased up to 120–700 ppb, respectively, after receiving a fluences in the range of ), but decreased with relatively higher fluencies ().
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to the RES’EAU-WaterNET Strategic Network and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) for their financial support. Thanks also to Roger Phetramphand, Nooshin Kamyab, and Camille Le Meur for their valuable participation in the experimental work.
References
Buchanan, W., Roddick, F., and Porter, N. (2006). “Formation of hazardous by-products resulting from the irradiation of natural organic matter: Comparison between UV and VUV irradiation.” Chemosphere, 63, 1130–1141.
Bursill, D., van Leeuwen, J., and Drikas, M. (2002). “Problems related to particulate and dissolved components in water: the importance of organic matter.” Water Supply, 2, 155–162.
Buxton, G. V., Greenstock, C. L., Helman, W. P., and Ross, A. B. (1988). “Critical review of rate constants for reactions of hydrated electrons, hydrogen atoms, and hydroxyl radicals () in aqueous solution.” J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data, 17(1), 513–886.
Chen, J., Zhang, P., and Liu, J. (2007). “Photodegradation of perfluorooctanoic acid by 185-nm vacuum ultraviolet light.” J. Environ. Sci. (China), 19(4), 387–390.
Goldstone, J. V., Pullin, M. J., Bertilsson, S., and Voelker, B. M. (2002). “Reactions of hydroxyl radical with humic substances: Bleaching, mineralization, and production of bioavailable carbon substrates.” Environ. Sci. Technol., 36(3), 362–372.
Gonzalez, M. G., Oliveros, E., Woerner, M., and Braun, A. M. (2004). “Vacuum-ultraviolet photolysis of aqueous reaction systems.” J. Photochem. Photobiol. C, 5(3), 225–246.
Gottschalk, C., Libra, J. A., and Saupe, A. (2009). Ozonation of water and waste water: A practical guide to understanding ozone and its applications, 2nd Ed., Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, Germany.
Gultekin, I., and Ince, N. H. (2004). “Degradation of reactive azo dyes by : Impact of radical scavengers.” J. Environ. Sci. Health. A. Tox. Hazard. Subst. Environ. Eng, 39(4), 1069–1081.
Han, W., Zhu, W., Zhang, Z., Zhang, Y., and Li, L. (2004). “Photocatalytic degradation of phenols in aqueous solution under irradiation of 254 and 185 nm UV light.” Catal. Today, 90(3–4), 319–324.
Imoberdorf, G., and Mohseni, M. (2011a). “Degradation of natural organic matter in surface water using vacuum-UV irradiation.” J. Hazard. Mater., 186(1), 240–246.
Imoberdorf, G. E., and Mohseni, M. (2011b). “Modeling and experimental evaluation of Vacuum-UV photoreactors for water treatment.” Chem. Eng. Sci., 66(6), 1159–1167.
Imoberdorf, G. E., and Mohseni, M. (2012). “Kinetic study and modeling of the vacuum-UV photoinduced degradation of 2,4-D.” Chem. Eng. J., 187(1), 114–122.
Klassen, N. V., Marchington, D., and McGowan, H. C. E. (1994). “ determination by the method and by titration.” Anal. Chem., 66(16), 2921–2925.
Krasner, S. W., McGuire, M. J., Jacangelo, J. G., Patania, N. L., Reagan, K. M., and Aieta, E. M. (1989). “The occurrence of disinfection by-products in US drinking water.” Am. Water Works Assoc., 81, 41–53.
Liao, C., and Gurol, M. D. (1995). “Chemical oxidation by photolytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide.” Environ. Sci. Technol., 29(12), 3007–3014.
Liu, C., et al. (2008). “Removal of humic acid using Ti photocatalytic process—Fractionation and molecular weight characterisation studies.” Chemosphere, 72, 263–271.
Nikolaou, A. D., and Lekkas, T. D. (2001). “The role of natural organic matter during formation of chlorination by-products: A review.” Acta Hydroch. Hydrob., 29(2–3), 63–77.
Rahn, R. O. (1997). “Potassium iodide as a chemical actinometer for 254-nm radiation: Use of iodate as an electron scavenger.” Photochem. Photobiol. A., 66, 450–465.
Sarathy, S. R., and Mohseni, M. (2007). “The impact of advanced oxidation on molecular size distribution of chromophoric natural organic matter.” Environ. Sci. Technol., 41(24), 8315–8320.
Schuchmann, H.-P., von Sonntag, C., and Srinivasan, R. (1981). “Quantum yields in the photolysis of cis-cyclooctene at 185 nm.” J. Photochem., 15(2), 159–162.
Shirayama, H., Tohezo, Y., and Taguchi, S. (2001). “Photodegradation of chlorinated hydrocarbons in the presence and absence of dissolved oxygen.” Water Res., 35(8), 1941–1950.
Srinivasan, P. T., and Viraraghavan, T. (2004). “Influence of natural organic matter (NOM) on the speciation of aluminum during water treatment.” Water Air Soil Pollut., 152(1–4), 35–54.
Summers, R. S., Hooper, S. M., Shukairy, H. M., Solarik, G., and Owen, D. (1996). “Assessing DBP yield: Uniform formation conditions.” J. Am. Water Works Assoc., 88(6), 80–93.
Thomson, J., Roddick, F., and Drikas, M. (2002). “Natural organic matter removal by enhanced photooxidation using low pressure mercury vapour lamps.” Water Sci. Technol. Water Supply, 2, 435–443.
Thomson, J., Roddick, F. A., and Drikas, M. (2004). “Vacuum ultraviolet irradiation for natural organic matter removal.” J. Water SRT–Aqua, 53, 193–206.
USEPA Method 551.1. (1995). “Determination of chlorination disinfection byproducts, chlorinated solvents, and halogenated pesticides/herbicides in drinking water by liquid-liquid extraction and gas chromatography with electron capture detection.” National Exposure Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH.
USEPA Method 556.1. (1999). “Determination of carbonyl compounds in drinking water by fast gas chromatography.” National Exposure Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH.
Weeks, J. L., Meaburn, G. M. A. C., and Gordon, S. (1963). “Absorption coefficients of liquid water and aqueous solution in the far ultraviolet.” Radiat. Res., 19(3), 559–567.
Westerhoff, P., Aiken, G., Amy, G., and Debroux, J. (1999). “Relationships between the structure of natural organic matter and its reactivity towards molecular ozone and hydroxyl radicals.” Water Res., 33(10), 2265–2276.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 2, 2013
Accepted: Nov 7, 2013
Published online: Dec 27, 2013
Published in print: Mar 1, 2014
Discussion open until: May 27, 2014
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.