Nanoparticles are considered emerging contaminants in water. Recent studies have found titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TNP) to potentially cause adverse environmental and health effects. Traditional industrial treatment plants have three primary methods of treating and removing particles: coagulation, flocculation, and sedimentation (CFS). This study involves micro-scale experiments called jar tests to determine the fundamental mechanisms involved in CFS of TNP in artificial groundwater and artificial surface water. Three different coagulants were used during experimentation: iron sulfate, alum, and iron chloride. The studies showed that the coagulants were able to successfully destabilize (i.e., aggregate) the particles. The effectiveness of the coagulant in these experiments was quantified by observing a decrease in the absorbance over time using a spectrophotometer. Results that will be presented in greater detail include coagulant dosage optimization, conventional-scale versus micro-scale jar tests, coagulant effectiveness over varied TNP concentrations, effect of nanoparticle coating, and role of natural organic matter.

Evaluating the capacity of conventional water treatment for removal of TiO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles

245th National Meeting (2013)

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Evaluating the capacity of conventional water treatment for removal of TiO2 nanoparticles

Evaluating the capacity of conventional water treatment for removal of TiO₂ nanoparticles