Saffar-Pérez, Amir A.

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    Hybrid multimedia-filter prototype (HMP) for the degradation of trihalomethanes precursors and pathogens control from raw waters
    (2018) Saffar-Pérez, Amir A.; Pagán-Trinidad, Ismael; College of Engineering; Suárez, O. Marcelo; Rivera-Santos, Jorge; Department of Civil Engineering; Montejo-Valencia, Luis A.
    The need for affordable and resource conserving water purification methods has only increased over the years. Alongside that, the occurrence and discovery of emerging contaminants demand the research and development of new technologies to properly address the destruction/removal of such contaminants. One of those emerging contaminants is trihalomethane. Trihalomethanes (THMs) are disinfection by-products that form when chlorine reacts with naturally occurring organic matter (such as humic acids). With that in mind, a hybrid system was developed, combining two known methods of water purification: filtration and oxidation. The system was comprised of a lab-scale biosand filter (LSBF); as well as a nanocomposite substrate embedded with titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles. The LSBF was used to eliminate pathogens, while the TiO2 embedded nanocomposites was used to degrade suspended solids. The project also aimed to study the impact of the filter’s sand bed depth in the removal of pathogens by reducing it 26.67 cm. The LSBF was operated in batch mode allowing an idle time of 24 hours between filtration to promote the establishment of a biolayer on top of the sand bed. The water source was the “Oro Creek” located in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. The LSBF effluent is then exposed to the TiO2 nanocomposite for 8 hours under UV light. The water is analyzed for pathogen population and organic matter quantified as total organic carbon (TOC) content, in order to observe the reduction of both parameters. Results revealed that a reduction in the sand bed depth showed no significant difference in the removal efficiency in turbidity and pathogen when compared against a standard sand bed depth. This indicated that bio filters can be constructed with fewer materials without losing the pathogen removal quality. Furthermore, the hybrid system showed slightly more pathogen removal to a near complete removal in the water. In terms of organic matter, the LSBF was capable of halving the amount of TOC in the water, while the hybrid system improved the reduction up to 75%. Ultimately, the hybrid system proved effective in eradicating the pathogen content in the water while also removing the vast amount of TOC, reducing the potential formation of THMs.