Removal of disinfection by-products in raw water using a biological powder-activated carbon system

This study investigates the removal efficiency of disinfection by-products (DBPs) in raw water at a water treatment plant using a biological powder-activated carbon system (BPACS). The presence of an excessive amount of DBPs has a large impact on the water quality of drinking water treated from the purification process. This study collected rapidly filtered water from an advanced water treatment plant for use in experiments on raw water. The removal efficiency of the trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP) and haloacetic acids formation potential (HAAFP) was studied under various hydraulic retention times and under organic DOC loadings. The results showed that the BPACS lowered the average concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), UV254 and the SUVA value (equivalent to UV254/DOC) in raw water. The system efficiently removed the THMFP and HAAFP during the treatment of the three primary organic carbon items. These results highlight the importance of the BPACS for efficiently treating disinfection by-products. These discoveries provide important information on biological degradation behaviors that can remove excessive amounts of disinfection by-products from drinking water.