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Updated: Mar 18, 2026

Quantification of Humic and Fulvic Acids in Humate Ores, DOC, Humified Materials and Humic Substance-Containing Commercial Products
Published on: March 18, 2022
Transformation of humic acid and halogenated byproduct formation in UV-chlorine processes
Tong Li1, Yan Jiang2, Xiaoqiang An3
1Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
Abstract:
The synergistic effect of ultraviolet light (UV) and chlorine on the structural transformation of Humic Acid (HA) and formation of chloro-disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in water were investigated, with chlorination as a reference. The transformation and mineralization of HA were enhanced upon co-exposure to UV and chlorine. Electron spin resonance (ESR) studies revealed that hydroxyl radical (OH) and chlorine radical (Cl) were predominant active species in a pH range from 4 to 7, while Cl dominated at pH 2 and pH higher than 7. The impact of different radicals on the transformation of HA was investigated by UV254, fluorescence and TOC measurements. OH were found to be responsible for the removal of chromophoric groups and mineralization of HA, while Cl mainly reacted with HA and intermediates from HA degradation. Due to the competitive and synergistic reaction of OH and Cl with HA, higher removal of HA and lower formation of chloro-DBPs appeared in UV-chlorine than chlorination, thus the combined UV-chlorine processes should be a promising method for water purification.
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