Correlation between SUVA and DBP formation during chlorination and chloramination of NOM fractions from different sources

• Evaluated correlations between SUVA and THMs, DHAAs, THAAs, and UTOX.
• THAAs correlated stronger with SUVA than THMs after chlorination.
• SUVA is a good indicator for the formation of unknown DBPs.
• Aromatic organic matter is the primary precursor for unknown DBPs.

Natural organic matter (NOM) is the major precursor to the formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) during drinking water treatment. Specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA) is a widely used surrogate parameter to characterize NOM and predict its DBP formation potential. The objective of this study was to determine the relationships between SUVA and different classes of DBPs formed by NOM fractions from different sources. Three natural waters with a wide SUVA range were fractionated into differing hydrophobicity and molecular weight groups using XAD-4 and XAD-8 resins and ultrafiltration membranes. Each NOM fraction was treated with chlorine and monochloramine under controlled laboratory conditions. Different classes of DBPs showed different relationships with SUVA. SUVA correlated strongly with trihaloacetic acids (THAAs) and unknown total organic halogen (UTOX) yields whereas weak correlations were observed between SUVA and trihalomethane (THM) and dihaloacetic acid (DHAA) yields during chlorination. These results reinforce the hypothesis that DHAAs and THAAs form through different precursors and reaction pathways. Strong correlation between SUVA and UTOX was also observed during chloramination. However, no significant relationship was observed between SUVA and chloramination THMs and DHAAs. Overall, SUVA is a good indicator for the formation of unknown DBPs. This indicates that UV absorbing compounds and aromatic carbon within NOM are the primary sources of precursors for unknown DBPs.

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