Determination of eight nitrosamines in water at the ngL−1 levels by liquid chromatography coupled to atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Concern about environmental protection has increased over the years from a global viewpoint. To date, the percolation of pesticide waste into the groundwater tables and aquifer systems remains an aesthetic issue towards the public health and food chain interference. With the renaissance of activated carbon, there has been a consistent growing interest in this research field. Confirming the assertion, this paper presents a state of art review of pesticide agrochemical practice, its fundamental characteristics, background studies and environmental implications. Moreover, the key advance of activated carbon adsorption, its major challenges together with the future expectation are summarized and discussed. Conclusively, the expanding of activated carbon adsorption represents a plausible and powerful circumstance, leading to the superior improvement of environmental preservation.

The kinetics of oxidation and disinfection processes during ozonation in a full-scale reactor treating secondary wastewater effluent were investigated for seven ozone doses ranging from 0.21 to 1.24 g O(3) g(-1) dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Substances reacting fast with ozone, such as diclofenac or carbamazepine (k(P, O3) > 10(4) M(-1) s(-1)), were eliminated within the gas bubble column, except for the lowest ozone dose of 0.21 g O(3) g(-1) DOC. For this low dose, this could be attributed to short-circuiting within the reactor. Substances with lower ozone reactivity (k(P, O3) < 10(4) M(-1) s(-1)) were only fully eliminated for higher ozone doses. The predictions of micropollutant oxidation based on coupling reactor hydraulics with ozone chemistry and reaction kinetics were up to a factor of 2.5 higher than full-scale measurements. Monte Carlo simulations showed that the observed differences were higher than model uncertainties. The overestimation of micropollutant oxidation was attributed to a protection of micropollutants from ozone attack by the interaction with aquatic colloids. Laboratory-scale batch experiments using wastewater from the same full-scale treatment plant could predict the oxidation of slowly-reacting micropollutants on the full-scale level within a factor of 1.5. The Rct value, the experimentally determined ratio of the concentrations of hydroxyl radicals and ozone, was identified as a major contribution to this difference. An increase in the formation of bromate, a potential human carcinogen, was observed with increasing ozone doses. The final concentration for the highest ozone dose of 1.24 g O(3) g(-1) DOC was 7.5 μg L(-1), which is below the drinking water standard of 10 μg L(-1). N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) formation of up to 15 ng L(-1) was observed in the first compartment of the reactor, followed by a slight elimination during sand filtration. Assimilable organic carbon (AOC) increased up to 740 μg AOC L(-1), with no clear trend when correlated to the ozone dose, and decreased by up to 50% during post-sand filtration. The disinfection capacity of the ozone reactor was assessed to be 1-4.5 log units in terms of total cell counts (TCC) and 0.5 to 2.5 log units for Escherichia coli (E. coli). Regrowth of up to 2.5 log units during sand filtration was observed for TCC while no regrowth occurred for E. coli. E. coli inactivation could not be accurately predicted by the model approach, most likely due to shielding of E. coli by flocs.

Effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) contain disinfection byproducts (DBPs) of health concern when the water is utilized downstream as a potable water supply. The pattern of DBP formation was strongly affected by whether or not the WWTP achieved good nitrification. Chlorine addition to poorly nitrified effluents formed low levels of halogenated DBPs, except for (in some cases) dihalogenated acetic acids, but often substantial amounts of N-nitrosodimethyamine (NDMA). Chlorination of well-nitrified effluent typically resulted in substantial formation of halogenated DBPs but much less NDMA. For example, on a median basis after chlorine addition, the well-nitrified effluents had 57 microg/L of trihalomethanes [THMs] and 3 ng/L of NDMA, while the poorly nitrified effluents had 2 microg/L of THMs and 11 ng/L of NDMA. DBPs with amino acid precursors (haloacetonitriles, haloacetaldehydes) formed at substantial levels after chlorination of well-nitrified effluent. The formation of halogenated DBPs but not that of NDMA correlated with the formation of THMs in WWTP effluents disinfected with free chlorine. However, THM formation did not correlate with the formation of other DBPs in effluents disinfected with chloramines. Because of the relatively high levels of bromide in treated wastewater, bromine incorporation was observed in various classes of DBPs.