Emerging contaminants in drinking water include hundreds of compounds or classes of compounds including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, cyanotoxins, disinfection byproducts, pesticide degradates, and other compounds. Key results will be presented of a recent AWWA study that prioritizes the most important of these emerging contaminants with respect to consideration for regulatory action. Many of these compounds are particularly challenging to treat effectively due to a wide range of complexities including effects of pH and temperature on reactivity with oxidants (e.g., chlorine, permanganate and ozone) and sorption (e.g., to activated carbon and other sorbents). Case studies and tailored treatment approaches will be presented for high priority contaminants including selected cyanotoxins, disinfection byproducts, chemicals from the West Virginia Elk River spill, epoxy leachates, pharmaceuticals, and other compounds. Kinetic modeling is used as a important method to predict customer exposures to specific parent compounds, as well as oxidation byproduct formation, will be stressed.

Emerging contaminants in drinking water: Prioritization, sources, and tailored oxidative and sorptive treatment approaches

248th National Meeting (2014)

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