Characterizing Powdered Activated Carbon Treatment of Surface Water Samples Using Polarity-Extended Non-Target...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Water Treatment Technologies

Background:

• Organic micropollutants pose risks to aquatic environments due to their persistence and mobility.
• Advanced wastewater treatment methods, like powdered activated carbon (PAC), are crucial for reducing pollutant loads.
• Evaluating the removal efficiency of very polar compounds by PAC is essential for effective water management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of powdered activated carbon (PAC) in removing polar organic micropollutants from wastewater.
• To investigate the potential formation or desorption of byproducts during PAC treatment using non-targeted analysis.
• To compare the molecular fingerprint of treated and untreated water samples to understand PAC's impact.

Main Methods:

• Employed polarity-extended chromatography hyphenated with mass spectrometry for target and non-target screening.
• Analyzed water samples treated with various types and concentrations of PAC against untreated controls.
• Utilized molecular feature extraction, fold change analysis, principal component analysis, and significance testing.

Main Results:

• A portion of polar target analytes was successfully adsorbed by the powdered activated carbon (PAC).
• Evidence suggests that PAC treatment may lead to the formation or desorption of certain byproducts.
• Non-targeted analysis provided a comprehensive molecular fingerprint, highlighting changes induced by PAC.

Conclusions:

• Powdered activated carbon (PAC) demonstrates efficacy in removing some polar micropollutants.
• The potential for byproduct formation or desorption necessitates further investigation into PAC treatment mechanisms.
• Integrated target and non-target analytical approaches are vital for a holistic assessment of water treatment processes.