[Factors affecting formation of THMs during dissolved organic nitrogen acetamide chlorination in drinking water]

Chlorination disinfection greatly reduced bacteria and virus in drinking water. However, there is an unintended consequence of disinfection, the generation of chemical disinfection by-products (DBPs). Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) as the important precursor of DBPs is of current concern. As acetamide (AcAm) occur in important bimolecular, we studied formation pathways for THMs during chlorination of model AcAm. The experiments are designed by Plackett-Burman and Box-Behnken methods. Factors affecting formation of THMs such as AcAm initial concentration, chlorine dosage, pH, temperature, Br(-) concentration and contact time were investigated. The results indicate that AcAm initial concentration, pH and temperature have little effects on formation of THMs. On the contrary, three other factors have important effects on formation of THMs, especially Br(-) concentration. The capacity of THMs generation varies very little when Br(-) has a constant concentration. Generation amount of THMs attach maximum under the condition that dosage of active chlorine, Br(-) concentration and contact time is 8.77 mg/L, 0.77 mg/L and 6.20 h respectively. Bromine ion plays a catalysis role on THMs formation. Controlling the concentration of bromine ion can reduce total generation amount of THMs via AcAm. Bromine partition coefficient tends to increasing along with contact time lapse. Controlling chlorination reaction time can lower the cancer risk. At last, the pathway is proposed for THMs formation via AcAm, and the catalysis mechanism of Br(-) was addressed.