Kinetics and mechanistic aspects of As(III) oxidation by aqueous
chlorine, chloramines, and ozone: Relevance to drinking water
treatment
Dodd M.C., Vu N.D., Ammann A., Le V.C., Kissner R., Pham H.V., Cao T.H., Berg M., Von Gunten U.
Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG), 8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland;
Center for Environmental Technology and Sustainable Development (CETASD), Hanoi University of
Science, Nguyen Trai Street 334, Hanoi, Viet Nam; Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, ETH Zurich, 8093
Zurich, Switzerland
Abstract: Kinetics and mechanisms of As(III) oxidation by free available chlorine (FAC-the sum of HOCl
and OCl
-
), ozone (O
3
), and monochloramine (NH
2
Cl) were investigated in buffered reagent solutions. Each
reaction was found to be first order in oxidant and in As(III), with 1:1 stoichiometry. FAC-As(III) and O
3
-
As(III) reactions were extremely fast, with pH-dependent, apparent second-order rate constants, k″
app
, of
2.6 (±0.1) × 10
5
M
-1
s
-1
and 1.5 (±0.1) × 10
6
M
-1
s
-1
at pH 7, whereas the NH
2
Cl-As(III) reaction was
relatively slow (k″
app
= 4.3 (±1.7) × 10
-1
M
-1
s
-1
at pH 7). Experiments conducted in real water samples
spiked with 50 μg/L As(III) (6.7 × 10
-7
M) showed that a 0.1 mg/L Cl
2
(1.4 × 10
-6
M) dose as FAC was
sufficient to achieve depletion of As(III) to <1 μg/L As(III) within 10 s of oxidant addition to waters
containing negligible NH
3
concentrations and DOC concentrations <2 mg-C/L. Even in a water containing 1
mg-N/L (7.1 × 10
-5
M) as NH
3
, >75% As(III) oxidation could be achieved within 10 s of dosing 1-2 mg/L
Cl
2
(1.4-2.8 × 10
-5
M) as FAC. As(III) residuals remaining in NH
3
-containing waters 10 s after dosing
FAC were slowly oxidized (t
1/2
≥ 4 h) in the presence of NH
2
Cl formed by the FAC-NH
3
reaction.
Ozonation was sufficient to yield >99% depletion of 50 μg/L As(III) within 10 s of dosing 0.25 mg/L O
3
(5.2 × 10
-6
M) to real waters containing <2 mg-C/L of DOC, while 0.8 mg/L O
3
(1.7 × 10
-5
M) was
sufficient for a water containing 5.4 mg-C/L of DOC. NH
3
had negligible effect on the efficiency of As(III)
oxidation by O
3
, due to the slow kinetics of the O
3
-NH
3
reaction at circumneutral pH. Time-resolved
measurements of As(III) loss during chlorination. © 2006 American Chemical Society.
Index Keywords: Concentration (process); Oxidation; Ozone; pH effects; Reaction kinetics; Stoichiometry;
Water treatment; Buffered reagent solutions; DOC concentrations; Time resolved measurements; Arsenic;
ammonia; arsenic; chloramine derivative; chlorine; drinking water; ozone; Arsenic; Concentration (process);
Oxidation; Ozone; pH effects; Reaction kinetics; Stoichiometry; Water treatment; arsenic; chlorine; drinking
water; oxidation; ozone; water treatment; aqueous solution; article; chlorination; concentration (parameters);
kinetics; molecular model; oxidation; ozonation; pH measurement; stoichiometry; water treatment;
Ammonia; Arsenic; Cations; Chloramines; Chlorine; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Kinetics; Oxidation-
Reduction; Ozone; Water Purification; Water Supply
Year: 2006
Source title: Environmental Science and Technology
Volume: 40
Issue: 10