Health Perspectives in the Oxidative Treatment of Water for Potable Supply

摘要

Organic matter is a universal pollutant of terrestrial waters. It is precipitated with rainfall in suspended or dissolved form, it is leached and dispersed from soils during passage of water over or through the ground, it is formed in surface waters as a result of photosynthesis or other biological activity and it is discharged into water as a product of man's domestic and industrial activities. The presence of organic matter always degrades the quality of water for human use. In many instances it imparts adverse hygienic characteristics or even toxic properties to the water, also, it may react with added disinfectants or other treatment agents to give even more noxious side products. Removal of or reduction in content of organic matter is thus an important aspect of water purification for municipal use. Because of the number and variety of organic compounds that may occur in water, effective removal is difficult. A survey of available treatment methods, including storage, infiltration, coagulation, adsorption and oxidation, indicates that no single method is fully satisfactory for all types of organic matter. Consequently, chemical oxidation, along with other techniques, will continue to have a significant role in the purification of drinking water supply.