title: The effect of TiO2nanoparticles removal on drinking water quality produced by conventional treatment C/F/S.
abstract: Nanoparticles, namely titanium dioxide (TiO2), are emerging contaminants widely used to commercial and industrial applications, are a potential hazard and can cause damage to environment and human health due to their toxicity. Therefore, their removal from the water is urgent to minimize or eliminate the adverse environmental and human effects. This work, investigates the efficiency of conventional coagulation/flocculation/sedimentation (C/F/S) from drinking water treatment to remove TiO2nanoparticles (NPs) from surface waters, and pretends to understand if the removal of TiO2NPs affects the ability of C/F/S to remove natural organic matter (NOM) and turbidity, and consequently affects the quality of the treated water. Results show that TiO2NPs removal is high (>90%) for all the waters studied (hydrophobic and hydrophilic waters) and the treated water quality is not compromised (turbidity, Ti and Al concentrations, pH and conductivity are below the national and international guidelines). In addition, TiO2initial concentrations, ranging between 0.2 and 10 mg/L, have not a significant impact on NPs removal by C/F/S. Therefore, the widely used polyaluminium based coagulants are effective in the removal of TiO2NPs by conventional C/F/S treatment, but removal is strongly influenced by the water characteristics. Hydrophobic waters need a higher coagulant dose than hydrophilic waters to achieve the same TiO2NPs removals, as well as water with higher UV254nmvalues. The principal mechanism involved in TiO2NPs removal is charge neutralisation.
authors.affiliation: CENSE, Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research, University of Algarve, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Bldg 7, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Vânia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Serrão Sousa
authors.affiliation: University of Algarve, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Bldg 7, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Corniciuc
authors.affiliation: CENSE, Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research, University of Algarve, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Bldg 7, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal. Electronic address: mribau@ualg.pt.
authors.forename: Margarida
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ribau Teixeira
mesh_terms: D060766:Drinking Water; D005427:Flocculation; D006801:Humans; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*; D018508:Water Purification; D060753:Water Quality
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water; D014025:Titanium
keywords: Coagulation/flocculation/sedimentation; Dioxide titanium nanoparticles; Hydrophilic; Hydrophobic; Natural organic matter