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Modeling MIC copper release from drinking water pipes.

Gonzalo E Pizarro1, Ignacio T Vargas1, Pablo A Pastén1

  • 1Centro de Desarrollo Urbano Sustentable (CEDEUS), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, 7820436 Santiago, Chile; Departamento de Ingeniería Hidráulica y Ambiental, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, 7820436 Santiago, Chile.

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Copper pipes can release unsafe copper levels into drinking water. Mathematical models show biofilms and pipe surfaces influence copper release during stagnation and flow cycles.

Keywords:
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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Materials Science
  • Water Chemistry

Background:

  • Copper is widely used in household plumbing due to its corrosion resistance.
  • However, copper pipes can corrode under specific conditions, releasing potentially unsafe copper concentrations into drinking water.
  • Existing conceptual models lack mathematical rigor for understanding copper release dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a mathematical model simulating copper release from pipes.
  • To investigate the interplay of physical-chemical processes and biofilm growth on copper release.
  • To analyze the influence of reactive surfaces and copper release kinetics.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a conceptual and mathematical model for copper release.
  • Simulated stagnation and flow cycles in copper pipes.
  • Incorporated biofilm growth and its interaction with copper.

Main Results:

  • The model identified a reactive surface acting as a labile copper reservoir near the pipe surface after stagnation.
  • Copper concentration is highest near the pipe surface following 10 hours of stagnation.
  • Biofilm complexation and hydrodynamics are key copper release mechanisms in the presence of biofilm.

Conclusions:

  • Mathematical modeling is crucial for understanding complex copper release phenomena in drinking water systems.
  • Biofilm presence significantly alters copper release mechanisms, involving complexation with biomass and hydrodynamics.
  • The reactive surface of copper pipes plays a vital role as a copper reservoir.