CAREER: An Adaptive Approach to Oxidize Emerging Organic Contaminants in our Drinking Water

1451932 RemucalCAREER：一种氧化饮用水中新出现的有机污染物的适应性方法随着人口增长和气候变化对我们水资源的压力增加，我们将被迫依赖较低质量的水源来满足我们的需求。特别是，我们现有的饮用水处理系统在处理有机污染物污染方面装备不足。该项目将开发和优化氯光分解高级氧化工艺，该工艺可用于升级现有的氯基消毒系统，以应对水源水质下降。氯是美国最常用的饮用水消毒剂，它的光解过程会产生一系列活性氧化剂，包括羟基自由基和臭氧，这些氧化剂能够同时氧化多种有机化合物，并能灭活耐氯病原体。这项研究工作的假设是，基于氯光解的高级氧化过程中的照射波长和溶液条件(例如，pH)可以进行优化，以最大限度地去除有机污染物，同时最大限度地减少消毒副产品的产生。研究主题将被纳入正式评估的教育倡议中，这些倡议将：(1)通过让K-12和本科生在新的互动学习环境中培养对环境工程领域的热情；(2)增加来自不同背景的高素质学生的数量，从事与环境工程和水质有关的职业；以及(3)提高公众对水质问题的认识。研究计划的目标是：(1)利用紫外光和太阳光谱中的光来表征氯光解过程中活性物种的形成；(2)评估氯光解过程中常规消毒副产物的形成；以及(3)使用两种互补的最先进的质谱学技术来识别氯光解过程中溶解有机物的变化和新的消毒副产物的形成。这项变革性的工作将首次系统地评估氯光解对污染物氧化和消毒副产物形成的影响。独特的项目成果将是：(1)开发了可用于预测氯光解过程中活性物种产生和目标污染物氧化的动力学模型，以及(2)在有光和无光的情况下与氯反应期间，在分子水平上加深了对消毒副产物的形成和溶解有机物组成变化的了解。

1451932RemucalCAREER: An adaptive approach to oxidize emerging organic contaminants in our drinking waterAs pressure on our water resources increases in response to population growth and a changing climate, we will be forced to rely on lower quality water sources to meet our needs. In particular, our existing drinking water treatment systems are poorly equipped to deal with contamination from organic pollutants. This project will develop and optimize a chlorine photolysis advanced oxidation process that could be used to upgrade existing chlorine-based disinfection systems in response to decreased source water quality. The photolysis of chlorine, the most commonly used drinking water disinfectant in the United States, produces a series of reactive oxidants, including hydroxyl radical and ozone, which are capable of simultaneously oxidizing numerous organic compounds and inactivating chlorine-resistant pathogens. The hypothesis underlying this research effort is that the irradiation wavelengths and solution conditions (e.g., pH) in a chlorine photolysis-based advanced oxidation process can be optimized to maximize organic contaminant removal while minimizing disinfection by-product production. The research themes will be integrated into formally assessed educational initiatives that will: (1) foster enthusiasm for the field of environmental engineering by engaging K-12 and undergraduate students in a novel interactive learning environment; (2) increase the number of highly qualified students from diverse backgrounds pursuing careers related to environmental engineering and water quality; and (3) raise public awareness of water quality issues.The objectives of the research plan are to: (1) characterize the formation of reactive species during chlorine photolysis using UV light and light in the solar spectrum; (2) assess the formation of conventional disinfection byproducts during chlorine photolysis; and (3) identify changes in dissolved organic matter and the formation of novel disinfection byproducts during chlorine photolysis using two complementary state-of-the-art mass spectrometry techniques. This transformative work will provide the first systematic evaluation of chlorine photolysis for contaminant oxidation and disinfection by-product formation. Unique project outcomes will be: (1) the development of a kinetic model that can be used to predict reactive species production and target contaminant oxidation during chlorine photolysis, and (2) an increased understanding of the formation of disinfection by-products and changes in dissolved organic matter composition on a molecular level during reaction with chlorine in the presence and absence of light.