202 / 2024-02-27 16:38:28

Toxicity and control technology of by-products of chlorine disinfection in rural drinking water

Rural water supply; chlorine disinfection; Chlorine disinfection byproducts; Disinfection control technique

Disinfection plays a crucial role in preventing waterborne infections within the realm of rural drinking water treatment. Chlorine and chloramine disinfection have emerged as the predominant methods employed in this context, primarily due to their inherent advantages of cost-effectiveness, high efficacy, and simplicity. However, it is essential to acknowledge that chlorine disinfection has recently raised concerns regarding its potential impact on public health. While chlorine disinfectants effectively eliminate harmful microorganisms in drinking water, they concurrently exhibit a strong oxidizing nature capable of oxidizing naturally occurring organic matter in rivers, lakes, groundwater, as well as anthropogenic pollutants and bromide/iodide compounds. This oxidative process leads to the formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs), prompting apprehensions due to their potential to induce various health conditions, including bladder cancer, rectal cancer, reproductive disorders, and other ailments, thus posing a conceivable threat to human health.

This research endeavors to provide a comprehensive overview of the generation, chemical properties, toxicity research, and control technologies related to disinfection byproducts in the context of chlorine, chloramine, and chlorine dioxide disinfection processes. Furthermore, this paper aims to propose measures and technologies for mitigating and addressing the issue of disinfection byproducts. Typical disinfection technologies for rural drinking water in China mainly include chlorine disinfection, chloramine disinfection, chlorine dioxide disinfection, and ozone disinfection. Common disinfection byproducts in this process encompass trihalomethanes (THMs), haloacetic acids (HAAs), chlorite, and bromate. To ensure the safety of drinking water, disinfection byproducts can be mitigated through source control, process control, and end control. The unification of chemical safety and microbial safety measures for drinking water fundamentally guarantees its safety.