Sebastien Allard

Reaction of bromine and chlorine with phenolic compounds and natural organic matter extracts – Electrophilic aromatic substitution and oxidation

Phenolic compounds are known structural moieties of natural organic matter (NOM), and their reactivity is a key parameter for understanding the reactivity of NOM and the disinfection by-product formation during oxidative water treatment. In this study, species-specific and/or apparent second order rate constants and mechanisms for the reactions of bromine and chlorine have been determined for various phenolic compounds (phenol, resorcinol, catechol, hydroquinone, phloroglucinol, bisphenol A, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, gallic acid, hesperetin and tannic acid) and flavone. The reactivity of bromine with phenolic compounds is very high, with apparent second order rate constants at pH 7 in the range of 10(4) to 10(7) M(-1) s(-1). The highest value was recorded for the reaction between HOBr and the fully deprotonated resorcinol (k = 2.1 × 10(9) M(-1) s(-1)). The reactivity of phenolic compounds is enhanced by the activating character of the phenolic substituents, e.g. further hydroxyl groups. With the data set from this study, the ratio between the species-specific rate constants for the reactions of chlorine versus bromine with phenolic compounds was confirmed to be about 3000. Phenolic compounds react with bromine or chlorine either by oxidation (electron transfer, ET) or electrophilic aromatic substitution (EAS) processes. The dominant process mainly depends on the relative position of the hydroxyl substituents and the possibility of quinone formation. While phenol, p-hydroxybenzoic acid and bisphenol A undergo EAS, hydroquinone, catechol, gallic acid and tannic acid, with hydroxyl substituents in ortho or para positions, react with bromine by ET leading to quantitative formation of the corresponding quinones. Some compounds (e.g. phloroglucinol) show both partial oxidation and partial electrophilic aromatic substitution and the ratio observed for the pathways depends on the pH. For the reaction of six NOM extracts with bromine, electrophilic aromatic substitution accounted for only 20% of the reaction, and for one NOM extract (Pony Lake fulvic acid) it accounted for <10%. This shows that for natural organic matter samples, oxidation (ET) is far more important than bromine incorporation (EAS).

Iodate and Iodo-Trihalomethane Formation during Chlorination of Iodide-Containing Waters: Role of Bromide

The kinetics of iodate formation is a critical factor in mitigation of the formation of potentially toxic and off flavor causing iodoorganic compounds during chlorination. This study demonstrates that the formation of bromine through the oxidation of bromide by chlorine significantly enhances the oxidation of iodide to iodate in a bromide-catalyzed process. The pH-dependent kinetics revealed species specific rate constants of k(HOBr + IO(-)) = 1.9 × 10(6) M(-1) s(-1), k(BrO(-) + IO(-)) = 1.8 × 10(3) M(-1) s(-1), and k(HOBr + HOI) < 1 M(-1) s(-1). The kinetics and the yield of iodate formation in natural waters depend mainly on the naturally occurring bromide and the type and concentration of dissolved organic matter (DOM). The process of free chlorine exposure followed by ammonia addition revealed that the formation of iodo-trihalomethanes (I-THMs), especially iodoform, was greatly reduced by an increase of free chlorine exposure and an increase of the Br(-)/I(-) ratio. In water from the Great Southern River (with a bromide concentration of 200 μg/L), the relative I-incorporation in I-THMs decreased from 18 to 2% when the free chlorine contact time was increased from 2 to 20 min (chlorine dose of 1 mg Cl(2)/L). This observation is inversely correlated with the conversion of iodide to iodate, which increased from 10 to nearly 90%. Increasing bromide concentration also increased the conversion of iodide to iodate: from 45 to nearly 90% with a bromide concentration of 40 and 200 μg/L, respectively, and a prechlorination time of 20 min, while the I-incorporation in I-THMs decreased from 10 to 2%.

Simultaneous analysis of 10 trihalomethanes at nanogram per liter levels in water using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography mass-spectrometry.

Trihalomethanes are predominantly formed during disinfection of water via reactions of the oxidant with natural organic matter. Even though chlorinated and brominated trihalomethanes are the most widespread organic contaminants in drinking water, when iodide is present in raw water iodinated trihalomethanes can also be formed. The formation of iodinated trihalomethanes can lead to taste and odor problems and is a potential health concern since they have been reported to be more toxic than their brominated or chlorinated analogs. Currently, there is no published standard analytical method for I-THMs in water. The analysis of 10 trihalomethanes in water samples in a single run is challenging because the iodinated trihalomethanes are found at very low concentrations (ng/L range), while the regulated chlorinated and brominated trihalomethanes are present at much higher concentrations (above μg/L). An automated headspace solid-phase microextraction technique, with a programmed temperature vaporizer inlet coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, was developed for routine analysis of 10 trihalomethanes i.e. bromo-, chloro- and iodo-trihalomethanes in water samples. The carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene fiber was found to be the most suitable. The optimization, linearity range, accuracy and precision of the method are discussed. The limits of detection range from 1 ng/L to 20 ng/L for iodoform and chloroform, respectively. Matrix effects in treated groundwater, surfacewater, seawater, and secondary wastewater were investigated and it was shown that the method is suitable for the analysis of trace levels of iodinated trihalomethanes in a wide range of waters. The method developed in the present study has the advantage of being rapid, simple and sensitive. A survey conducted throughout various process stages in an advanced water recycling plant showed the presence of iodinated trihalomethanes at ng/L levels.

Ozonation of iodide-containing waters: Selective oxidation of iodide to iodate with simultaneous minimization of bromate and I-THMs

The presence of iodinated disinfection by-products (I-DBPs) in drinking water poses a potential health concern since it has been shown that I-DBPs are generally more genotoxic and cytotoxic than their chlorinated and brominated analogs. I-DBPs are formed during oxidation/disinfection of iodide-containing waters by reaction of the transient hypoiodous acid (HOI) with natural organic matter (NOM). In this study, we demonstrate that ozone pre-treatment selectively oxidizes iodide to iodate and avoids the formation of I-DBPs. Iodate is non-toxic and is therefore a desired sink of iodine in drinking water. Complete conversion of iodide to iodate while minimizing the bromate formation to below the guideline value of 10 μg L⁻¹ was achieved for a wide range of ozone doses in five raw waters with DOC and bromide concentrations of 1.1-20 mg L⁻¹ and 170-940 μg L⁻¹, respectively. Lowering the pH effectively further reduced bromate formation but had no impact on the extent of iodate and bromoform formation (the main trihalomethane (THM) formed during ozonation). Experiments carried out with pre-chlorinated/post-clarified samples already containing I-DBPs, showed that ozonation effectively oxidized I-THMs. Therefore, in iodide-containing waters, in which I-DBPs can be produced upon chlorination or especially chloramination, a pre-ozonation step to oxidize iodide to iodate is an efficient process to mitigate I-DBP formation.

Oxidation of iodide and iodine on birnessite (δ-MnO2) in the pH range 4-8

The oxidation of iodide by synthetic birnessite (delta-MnO(2)) was studied in perchlorate media in the pH range 4-8. Iodine (I(2)) was detected as an oxidation product that was subsequently further oxidized to iodate (IO(3)(-)). The third order rate constants, second order on iodide and first order on manganese oxide, determined by extraction of iodine in benzene decreased with increasing pH (6.3-7.5) from 1790 to 3.1M(-2) s(-1). Both iodine and iodate were found to adsorb significantly on birnessite with an adsorption capacity of 12.7 microM/g for iodate at pH 5.7. The rate of iodine oxidation by birnessite decreased with increasing ionic strength, which resulted in a lower rate of iodate formation. The production of iodine in iodide-containing waters in contact with manganese oxides may result in the formation of undesired iodinated organic compounds (taste and odor, toxicity) in natural and technical systems. The probability of the formation of such compounds is highest in the pH range 5-7.5. For pH <5 iodine is quickly oxidized to iodate, a non-toxic and stable sink for iodine. At pH >7.5, iodide is not oxidized to a significant extent.

Mechanistic Study on the Formation of Cl-/Br-/I-Trihalomethanes during Chlorination/Chloramination Combined with a Theoretical Cytotoxicity Evaluation

Chlorination followed by chloramination can be used to mitigate the formation of potentially toxic iodinated disinfection byproducts (I-DBPs) while controlling the formation of regulated chloro-bromo-DBPs (Cl-/Br-DBPs). Water samples containing dissolved organic matter (DOM) isolates were subjected to 3 disinfection scenarios: NH2Cl, prechlorination followed by ammonia addition, and HOCl alone. A theoretical cytotoxicity evaluation was carried out based on the trihalomethanes (THMs) formed. This study demonstrates that the presence of bromide not only enhances the yield and rate of iodate formation, it also increases the formation of brominated I-THM precursors. A shift in the speciation from CHCl2I to the more toxic CHBr2I, as well as increased iodine incorporation in THMs, was observed in the presence of bromide. For low bromide concentrations, a decrease in I-THM formation and theoretical cytotoxicity was achieved only for high prechlorination times, while for high bromide concentrations, a short prechlorination time enabled the full conversion of iodide to iodate. For low DOM concentrations or DOM with low reactivity, Br-/I-THMs were preferentially formed for short prechlorination times, inducing high cytotoxicity. However, for high chlorine exposures, the cytotoxicity induced by the formation of regulated THMs might outweigh the benefit of I-THM mitigation. For high DOM concentrations or DOM with higher reactivity, mixed I-THMs were formed together with high concentrations of regulated THMs. In this case, based on the cytotoxicity of the THMs formed, the use of NH2Cl is recommended.

Oxidation of manganese(II) during chlorination: role of bromide.

The oxidation of dissolved manganese(II) (Mn(II)) during chlorination is a relatively slow process which may lead to residual Mn(II) in treated drinking waters. Chemical Mn(II) oxidation is autocatalytic and consists of a homogeneous and a heterogeneous process; the oxidation of Mn(II) is mainly driven by the latter process. This study demonstrates that Mn(II) oxidation during chlorination is enhanced in bromide-containing waters by the formation of reactive bromine species (e.g., HOBr, BrCl, Br2O) from the oxidation of bromide by chlorine. During oxidation of Mn(II) by chlorine in bromide-containing waters, bromide is recycled and acts as a catalyst. For a chlorine dose of 1 mg/L and a bromide level as low as 10 μg/L, the oxidation of Mn(II) by reactive bromine species becomes the main pathway. It was demonstrated that the kinetics of the reaction are dominated by the adsorbed Mn(OH)2 species for both chlorine and bromine at circumneutral pH. Reactive bromine species such as Br2O and BrCl significantly influence the rate of manganese oxidation and may even outweigh the reactivity of HOBr. Reaction orders in [HOBr]tot were found to be 1.33 (±0.15) at pH 7.8 and increased to 1.97 (±0.17) at pH 8.2 consistent with an important contribution of Br2O which is second order in [HOBr]tot. These findings highlight the need to take bromide, and the subsequent reactive bromine species formed upon chlorination, into account to assess Mn(II) removal during water treatment with chlorine.

Formation of methyl iodide on a natural manganese oxide

This paper demonstrates that manganese oxides can initiate the formation of methyl iodide, a volatile compound that participates to the input of iodine into the atmosphere. The formation of methyl iodide was investigated using a natural manganese oxide in batch experiments for different conditions and concentrations of iodide, natural organic matter (NOM) and manganese oxide. Methyl iodide was formed at concentrations <or=1 microg L(-1) for initial iodide concentrations ranging from 0.8 to 38.0 mg L(-1). The production of methyl iodide increased with increasing initial concentrations of iodide ion and Mn sand and when pH decreased from 7 to 5. The hydrophilic NOM isolate exhibited the lowest yield of methyl iodide whereas hydrophobic NOM isolates such as Suwannee River HPOA fraction produced the highest concentration of methyl iodide. The formation of methyl iodide could take place through the oxidation of NOM on manganese dioxide in the presence of iodide. However, the implication of elemental iodine cannot be excluded at acidic pH. Manganese oxides can then participate with ferric oxides to the formation of methyl iodide in soils and sediments. The formation of methyl iodide is unlikely in technical systems such as drinking water treatment i.e. for ppt levels of iodide and low contact times with manganese oxides.

Impact of bromide on halogen incorporation into organic moieties in chlorinated drinking water treatment and distribution systems.

The impact of elevated bromide concentrations (399 to 750 μg/L) on the formation of halogenated disinfection by-products (DBPs), namely trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids, haloacetonitriles, and adsorbable organic halogen (AOX), in two drinking water systems was investigated. Bromine was the main halogen incorporated into all of the DBP classes and into organic carbon, even though chlorine was present in large excess to maintain a disinfectant residual. Due to the higher reactivity of bromine compared to chlorine, brominated DBPs were rapidly formed, followed by a slower increase in chlorinated DBPs. Higher bromine substitution and incorporation factors for individual DBP classes were observed for the chlorinated water from the groundwater source (lower concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC)), which contained a higher concentration of bromide, than for the surface water source (higher DOC). The molar distribution of adsorbable organic bromine to chlorine (AOBr/AOCl) for AOX in the groundwater distribution system was 1.5:1 and almost 1:1 for the surface water system. The measured (regulated) DBPs only accounted for 16 to 33% of the total organic halogen, demonstrating that AOX measurements are essential to provide a full understanding of the formation of halogenated DBPs in drinking waters. In addition, the study demonstrated that a significant proportion (up to 94%) of the bromide in source waters can be converted AOBr. An evaluation of AOBr and AOCl through a second groundwater treatment plant that uses conventional treatment processes for DOC removal produced 70% of AOX as AOBr, with 69% of the initial source water bromide converted to AOBr. Exposure to organobromine compounds is suspected to result in greater adverse health consequences than their chlorinated analogues. Therefore, this study highlights the need for improved methods to selectively reduce the bromide content in source waters.

Mechanistic Aspects of the Formation of Adsorbable Organic Bromine during Chlorination of Bromide-containing Synthetic Waters.

During chlorination of bromide-containing waters, a significant formation of brominated disinfection byproducts is expected. This is of concern because Br-DBPs are generally more toxic than their chlorinated analogues. In this study, synthetic water samples containing dissolved organic matter (DOM) extracts and bromide were treated under various disinfection scenarios to elucidate the mechanisms of Br-DBP formation. The total concentration of Br-DBPs was measured as adsorbable organic bromine (AOBr). A portion of the bromine (HOBr) was found to react with DOM via electrophilic substitution (≤40%), forming AOBr, and the remaining HOBr reacted with DOM via electron transfer with a reduction of HOBr to bromide (≥60%). During chlorination, the released bromide is reoxidized (recycled) by chlorine to HOBr, leading to further electrophilic substitution of unaltered DOM sites and chlorinated DOM moieties. This leads to an almost complete bromine incorporation to DOM (≥87%). The type of DOM (3.06 ≤ SUVA254 ≤ 4.85) is not affecting this process, as long as the bromine-reactive DOM sites are in excess and a sufficient chlorine exposure is achieved. When most reactive sites were consumed by chlorine, Cl-substituted functional groups (Cl-DOM) are reacting with HOBr by direct bromination leading to Br-Cl-DOM and by bromine substitution of chlorine leading to Br-DOM. The latter finding was supported by hexachlorobenzene as a model compound from which bromoform was formed during HOBr treatment. To better understand the experimental findings, a conceptual kinetic model allowing to assess the contribution of each AOBr pathway was developed. A simulation of distribution system conditions with a disinfectant residual of 1 mgC2 L-1 showed complete conversion of Br- to AOBr, with about 10% of the AOBr formed through chlorine substitution by bromine.