GAC Filtration of Solutions Containing Phenolic Compounds and Chlorite: Identification of Organic and Inorganic Byproducts
The use of chlorine dioxide for the chemical preoxidation of potable water with high oxidant demand requires that the major inorganic byproduct, chlorite, in the treatment system be removed, owing to the potential toxicity of this oxychlorine species. Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filtration, in converting chlorite ions into chloride, appears to be an interesting approach, but very few data are available concerning possible interactions in the presence of organic matter. The present research was designed to examine the influence of phenolic compounds on the efficiency of activated carbon in removing chlorite and to study the reactions between chlorite, activated carbon and organic molecules. Laboratory experiments have been carried out with relatively high substrate concentrations in order to identify the resulting byproducts. Materials and Methods. Filtrations of solutions containing chlorite and a phenolic compound (phenol or para nitrophenol; [Organic Compound]inf=200 μmol.L-1;[C102-] inf=50 mg L-1; pH=7.2); were performed using 1- cm i.d. glass columns packed with 3.0 g of GAC CECA 40 (Flow rate: 3.7 m.h-1). Inorganic species were analysed by HPLC, with an anion column and a conductimetric detector for chloride and chlorate, and with a C-18 column and a UV detector for chlorite. Phenol and para nitrophenol were also analysed by HPLC, in the reverse mode. At the conclusion of the filtrations, the Total Organic Halogen (TOX) adsorbed on the carbon was determined after combustion of the carbon and measurement of the liberated halides with a micro coulometer (Dohrmann DX20). In order to identify organic reaction byproducts, carbon samples were Soxhlet extracted with methylene chloride and half of the extracts were methylated with diazomethane. Identification of the organic products was then carried out by gas chromatography / mass spectrometry with a DB5 capillary column and a quadrupolar hyperbolic filter system CPV/MS. Results and Discussion. Effects of phenol and p nitrophenol on removal of chlorite by GAC. The effluent curves from columns that received solutions containing both chlorite and an organic solute (columns A and B; fig. 1) showed that the presence of phenol or p nitrophenol in the influent decreases the capacity of GAC to remove chlorite. Effect of chlorite on removal of phenol and p nitrophenol. An increase in the cumulative removal of the organic solute was observed for columns A and B compared with columns that received solutions of the phenolic compound only (fig. 2; table 11). p benzoquinone was found in the eff1uent of column A fed with a chlorite phenol solution (fig. 3). Formation of organic byproducts by reactions between chlorite and phenol or p nitrophenol in the presence of GAC. TOX analyses showed that interactions between chlorite, GAC, and phenol or p nitrophenol led to the production of organohalogenated compounds. These data clearly demonstrate that halogenation reactions take place in the GAC bed and that a fraction of the total amount of phenol or p nitrophenol removed can be due to chemical reactions. GC/MS analyses of GAC extracts of columns A and B (tables IV and V) indicated that the phenol chlorite GAC reactions yield a variety of organic byproducts that are produced by hydroxylation and carboxylation of the aromatic ring by oxidation to quinones, by chlorine substitution and by dehydroxylation and dimerization reactions. Fewer products could be identified in the reaction between p nitrophenol, chlorite, and GAC. Since chlorite is unreactive with phenol and p nitrophenol in neutral aqueous solution, the formation of these organic byproducts can be attributed to reactions between phenol or p nitrophenol present in the GAC pore solution or adsorbed on GAC and the chemical species (Cl· ClO·, ClO2, HOCl (ClO-), surface free radicals ...) generated from the reaction of chlorite and carbon. Thus, aromatic acids could come from radical processes between adsorbed molecules and carbon surface functional groups oxidized by chlorite. The formation of dimers can also be explained by a freeradical mechanism. The reactions between Cl·, ClO· radicals or radicals present on the GAC surface, with organic compounds produce organic radicals via H atom abstraction or one electron transfer. Organic radicals such as phenoxy radicals or other aromatic radicals can then undergo dimerization by carbon-oxygen or carbon-carbon coupling. The formation of organochlorinated compounds can be explained by the reaction of chlorine (HOCl, ClO-) and chlorine radicals with organic molecules present in the solution. However further investigation is needed in order to evaluate if such compounds can be formed on GAC filters and then desorbed in the effluent in thc case of drinking waters pretreated with chlorine dioxide.