Mn(II) and Fe(II) oxidation by chlorine, chloramine, and ozone disinfectants is well established.  Fe(III) salts are frequently deployed as coagulants.  Manganese and iron oxyhydroxides accumulate within sand filters, where they catalyze Mn(II) and Fe(II) oxidation and bring about the adsorptive sequestration of toxic elements.  Permanganate and increasingly ferrate are used to remove Mn(II) and Fe(II) via oxidative precipitation, and to oxidize organic compounds responsible for taste, odor, and biological effects at trace levels.  The role of manganese and iron in the oxidative degradation of natural organic matter and the generation of disinfection byproducts is, however, largely unknown.  Bonding and speciation considerations enable us to make predictions about important intermediate oxidation state species.  It may be possible to control ambient chemical conditions, e.g. pH and the presence of complexants and adsorbable species, in a manner that favors some pathways and products in preference to others, thereby optimizing product water quality.

Manganese and iron in water treatment: An atomic orbital view of bonding, speciation, reactivity, and product identity

245th National Meeting (2013)

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