| Haloacetic acids (HAAs) after trihalomethanes are the second main group of chlorination byproducts.
In this study, decomposition of the two most common HAAs in drinking water was studied by an
advanced oxidation process using a combination of Ferrate [Fe(VI)] and UV irradiation. The decomposition
rate was measured, and the byproducts formed during the process and the mass balances
were also analyzed. HAAs were quantified by GC-ECD, and the final products including acetate and
chloride ions were measured by ion chromatography (IC). A central composite design was used for the
experimental design, and the effect of four variables including the initial HAA concentration, pH,
Fe(VI) dosage, and contact time were investigated by response surface methodology (RSM).
Dichloroacetic acid decomposed more easily than TCAA. Results show that when TCAA and DCAA were
studied individually, the degradation rates were 0.0179 and 0.0632 min1, respectively. When the
HAAs were simultaneously placed in the reactor, the decomposition rates of both TCAA and DCAA
decreased dramatically. In this case their decomposition rate constants decreased by 67% and 49%,
respectively. In the mixture, the decomposition rate of DCAA was 2.5 times higher than that of TCAA.
In summary, Fe(VI)/UV process can be used as a promising treatment option for the decomposition of
recalcitrant organic pollutants such as HAAs, and RSM can be used for modeling and optimizing the
process. |