Effect of seawater intrusion on formation of bromine-containing trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids during chlorination

Research Highlights
• Bromide increased from 38 to 974 μg L− 1 as seawater content increased from 0% to 2%.
• THM4 increased from 43 to 207 μg L− 1 as seawater content increased from 0% to 2%.
• Bromoform was the dominant THM species at 2% seawater.
• The mass concentration of HAA5 remained constant as seawater content increased.

This study quantified the formation and speciation of halogenated organic disinfection byproducts (DBPs) during chlorination as a function of seawater intrusion by spiking fresh groundwater with 0.1% to 2% seawater by volume. The four chlorine- and bromine-containing trihalomethanes (THM4) and the nine chlorine- and bromine-containing haloacetic acids (HAA9) were the DBPs investigated. The bromide concentration increased from 38 μg L− 1 in fresh groundwater to 974 μg L− 1 in 2% seawater, and upon chlorination the concentration of THM4 increased from 43 to 206 μg L− 1 and the concentration of HAA9 increased from 39 to 75 μg L− 1. At 0.4% seawater and higher the THM4 concentration exceeded the U.S. EPA maximum contaminant level of 80 μg L− 1. Although the mass concentration of HAA9 increased by nearly a factor of 2 over the seawater range of 0% to 2%, the mass concentration of the five regulated HAAs (i.e., HAA5) remained approximately constant. This is because HAA5 excludes four bromine-containing species. The increase in mass concentrations of THM4 and HAA9 with increasing seawater intrusion was the result of an increased molar formation of DBP species and a shift from chlorinated species to brominated species.

Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide