Oxidant Effects on Complex Mixtures of Nonvolatile Organics in Polluted Waters: Examination by HPLC and Bioscreening

摘要

Chemical oxidants such as ozone and chlorine are used for antifoulant treatment of cooling waters and disinfection of polluted waters. The effects of these oxidants on the nonvolatile organic constituents in such waters are being examined using the complementary techniques of high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and bioscreening. HPLC is used to separate the nonvolatile organic constituents present in complex mixtures in the waters of environmental concern, and the separated organics are detected by UV absorbance or cerate oxidimetry. Bioscreening tests are used to facilitate the examination of only those separated constituents with biological and possible health significance. The bioscreening method principally used is determination of bacterial mutagenic activity. Both ozone and chlorine destroy some nonvolatile organic constituents and produce others. To date, no statistically significant mutagenic activity has been determined for constituents separated from ozonated effluents from wastewater treatment plants. (ERA citation 04:034402)