Wastewater reuse: modeling chloroform formation

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Water Treatment Technologies

Background:

• Chloroform poses risks to aquatic environments, necessitating control during wastewater disinfection for water reuse.
• While studied in drinking water, chloroform formation in wastewater disinfection requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate chloroform formation during the chlorination of simulated wastewater for landscape irrigation.
• To assess the impact of reaction time, chlorine dose, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) on chloroform generation.
• To develop and validate a model for predicting chloroform formation under different chlorination practices.

Main Methods:

• Simulated wastewater matrices were chlorinated to mimic storage pond conditions.
• Chloroform formation was monitored concerning reaction time, chlorine dose, and DOC.
• A two-variant model was developed to simulate breakpoint and super chlorination.
• The model was validated using data from six wastewater treatment plants and previous studies.

Main Results:

• Established relationships between reaction parameters (time, chlorine dose) and chloroform formation.
• Observed variations in DOC content during the chlorination process.
• The proposed model accurately predicted chloroform levels under real-world conditions.

Conclusions:

• Understanding chloroform formation is crucial for safe wastewater reuse in irrigation.
• The developed model provides a valuable tool for optimizing chlorination processes and minimizing chloroform risks.
• Further research can refine the model for diverse wastewater matrices and treatment scenarios.