Fluorescence spectroscopy and parallel factor analysis as a dissolved organic monitoring tool to assess treatment performance in drinking water trains.
Fluorescence excitation emission matrix (FEEM) spectroscopy was used to evaluate its applicability as a tool to track dissolved organic matter (DOM) in a drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) that incorporates a conventional line (consisting in ozonation and GAC filtration) and a membrane-based line (consisting in ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and mineralization) working in parallel. Seven sampling points within the different process stages were characterized monthly during 2014. A global Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC) was used to pull out underlying organic fractions from the fluorescence spectra. Accordingly a five components model was selected to describe the system and the pros and cons of the model were discussed by analysis of the residuals. Among the five fluorescent components, those associated to humic-like matter (C1, C3 and C4) showed a similar season variability in the river water feeding the DWTP (which resembled that of UV254and TOC), whereas the two components associated to protein-like matter (C2 and C5) exhibited a different behavior. The maximum fluorescence intensity values (Fmax) were used to quantify DOM removals across the plant. Compared to the conventional line, water from the UF/RO membrane-based line showed between 6 and 14 times lower fluorescence intensity signal for the humic-like components and between 1 and 3 for the protein-like components as compared to the conventional line. The differences in DOM composition due to seasonal variations and along the treatment trains point out the suitability of using fluorescence measurements over other parameters such as UV254as a monitoring tool to help optimize operation conditions of each treatment stage and improve produced water quality in a DWTP.
Aigües de Barcelona, Empresa Metropolitana de Gestió del Cicle Integral de l'Aigua, Gral. Batet 1-7, 08028 Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: mverac@aiguesdebarcelona.cat.
M
M
Vera
Aigües de Barcelona, Empresa Metropolitana de Gestió del Cicle Integral de l'Aigua, Gral. Batet 1-7, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
S
S
Cruz
Aigües de Barcelona, Empresa Metropolitana de Gestió del Cicle Integral de l'Aigua, Gral. Batet 1-7, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
M R
MR
Boleda
Aigües de Barcelona, Empresa Metropolitana de Gestió del Cicle Integral de l'Aigua, Gral. Batet 1-7, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
J
J
Mesa
Aigües de Barcelona, Empresa Metropolitana de Gestió del Cicle Integral de l'Aigua, Gral. Batet 1-7, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
J
J
Martín-Alonso
CETAQUA, Water Technology Center, Ctra. d'Esplugues 75, 08940 Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain.
S
S
Casas
Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Department of Chemical Engineering, Av. Diagonal 647, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; CETAQUA, Water Technology Center, Ctra. d'Esplugues 75, 08940 Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain.
O
O
Gibert
Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Department of Chemical Engineering, Av. Diagonal 647, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; CETAQUA, Water Technology Center, Ctra. d'Esplugues 75, 08940 Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain.
J L
JL
Cortina
D060766:Drinking Water / Q000032:analysis*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D006812:Humic Substances / Q000032:analysis; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D018508:Water Purification; D060753:Water Quality
D060766:Drinking Water; D006812:Humic Substances; D009930:Organic Chemicals
Dissolved organic matter (DOM); Fluorescence spectroscopy; Parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC); Reverse osmosis (RO); Ultrafiltration (UF); Water treatment