AWWA WQTC65702

Increasingly stringent regulations on pathogen inactivation and formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) has prompted interest in alternative disinfection strategies. One such alternative is sonication. While prior research has demonstrated the inactivation kinetics of sonication for bacteria and protozoa, little is known regarding the impact of ultrasonic treatment on DBP formation. The objective of this research was to quantify the impact of sonication on trihalomethane (THM) formation. Water samples with varying concentrations of natural organic matter (NOM) were treated with sonication at 20 kHz for 30 seconds to 10 minutes, and compared to control samples with no sonication. After treatment, samples were chlorinated and THMs were extracted after reaction times from 1 to 7 days. For experimental water with 1 mg/L NOM, THM formation potential was reduced by 40% for sonication times of 30 seconds, 5 minutes and 10 minutes. Additional experiments are needed to increase precision of the experimental data; however, this study supports the potential for reducing THM formation using sonication. Includes 9 references, table.