Cost-efficient sustainable control of lead solubility in Bristol Water drinking water network

铅管继续用于英国和全球各地较老物业的国内管道。限制铅释放到供水网络的主要方法是更换铅管和对水进行正磷酸盐处理。已知正磷酸盐处理通过形成替代的铅沉淀物来降低铅溶解度。尽管如此，对形成的铅磷酸盐矿物以及水质对矿物身份和特征的影响的了解有限。研究水质如何影响铅的溶解度将是该项目的主要目标。同样，目前正在寻求新的替代水处理技术来限制铅的溶解度。这项研究将调查这些替代处理，包括正磷酸盐-聚磷酸盐混合物，以及它们限制管道内铅溶解度的潜力。该项目预计将利用多种方法来研究水处理方法。预期这些技术方法的结果可以与工业规模的观察结果与分子水平上确定的结果相关联。分析化学将研究铅管和铅管垢中的洗脱水，以确定不同水质参数和处理技术之间是否一致。这项工作预计需要几种分析技术，包括但不限于X射线衍射，傅里叶变换红外光谱，电子显微镜和能量色散X射线显微分析。以前的研究并没有试图在控制水质或替代水处理技术的同时进行这种类型的分析。同样，以前的研究涉及使用铅钻机测试正磷酸盐处理，忽略了正确测试正磷酸盐剂量或主要水质参数的重要性，这两者都可能影响铅的溶解度。本研究将在实验室和布里斯托水务场地内使用铅钻机，利用设计实验测试铅、颜料、磷和其他金属在铅管中的溶解度，同时改变各种因素，包括几个水质参数、处理技术和处理浓度。最后，通过严格评估布里斯托供水网络内现有的水质和正磷酸盐处理数据，该研究可以确定结果的相关性。这对于确认大规模真实网络数据是否与实验室研究相关至关重要。平衡、动力学和热力学等考虑因素都对实际铅的溶解度有影响，虽然研究通常在实验室进行，但他们往往忽略了是否可以证明与工业数据有明确的相关性。通过该项目，将对影响铅溶解度的水质和水处理因素有更深入的了解。这可以帮助政策制定者，包括布里斯托水，完善他们的处理技术，平衡需要控制铅与愿望，以产生无色，低富营养化的潜在水。所有项目重点领域都与EPSRC的核心主题直接相关，通过在更具弹性和繁荣的英国社会框架内调查更可持续的饮用水处理和交付。

Lead piping continues to be used in domestic pipelines of older properties around the UK and globally. The primary approaches to limiting the release of lead into the water network are replacement of lead pipes and orthophosphate treatment of water. Orthophosphate treatment is known to reduce lead solubility by forming alternative lead precipitates. Despite this there is limited knowledge on the lead-phosphate minerals formed and the impact of water quality on mineral identity and character. Studying how water quality effects lead solubility will be a major aim of the project. Similarly, new alternative water treatment techniques are currently being sought to limit lead solubility. This research will investigate these alternative treatments, including orthophosphate-polyphosphate blends, and their potential to limit lead solubility within piping.The project anticipates utilising multiple approaches to study water treatment methods. The expectation is that results from these techniques approaches can be correlated linking industrial scale observations with those determined in the molecular level. Analytical chemistry will study eluent water from lead pipes and lead piping scales determining whether these are consistent between different water quality parameters and treatment techniques. This work is expected to require several analytical techniques including, but not limited to, X-Ray Diffraction, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Microanalysis. Previous research has not attempted to carry out this type of analysis while controlling the water quality or alternative water treatment techniques.Similarly previous research involving use of lead rigs to test orthophosphate treatment have neglected to properly test the importance of orthophosphate dose or major water quality parameters, both which likely affect lead solubility. This study will use lead rigs within the lab and Bristol Water sites to utilise Designed Experiments testing lead, colour, phosphorus and other metals solubility through lead pipes while varying factors including several water quality parameters, treatment techniques and treatment concentrations. Finally, by critically assessing the existing water quality and orthophosphate treatment data within the Bristol Water network the study can determine how relevant the results are. This is critical to confirm whether large scale, real-world network data correlates to that of lab studies. Considerations such as equilibria, kinetics and thermodynamics all contribute to real-world lead solubility and while studies are commonly carried out in laboratories, they often neglect to consider whether they can demonstrate a clear correlation to industrial data. As a result of this project there will be a greater understanding of the water quality and water treatment factors which affect lead solubility. This can help policy makers, including Bristol Water, refine their treatment techniques balancing the need to control lead with desire to produce colour-free, low-eutrophication potential water. All the project focus areas directly relate to the core topic of EPSRC by investigating more sustainable drinking water treatment and delivery within framework of more resilient and prosperous UK society.