ASSESSING SULFUR TURBIDITY FORMATION FOLLOWING CHLORINATION OF HYDROGEN-SULFIDE IN GROUNDWATER

This article describes the effects of sulfide concentration, chlorine-to-sulfide molar ratio, reaction pH, dissolved oxygen, and reaction time on sulfide destruction and sulfur turbidity formation following chlorination of hydrogen sulfide. Sulfur turbidity was formed at all reaction pH values >3.8. It was stable and could not be removed by sedimentation, increased chlorine dosage, or increased reaction time. A major conclusion of this work is that elemental sulfur is being discharged to potable water distribution systems by thousands of US water treatment plants that do not remove sulfur turbidity following hydrogen sulfide chlorination.