Characteristics of natural organic matters in raw and treated drinking water : Comparison study

Drinking waterworks provide drinking waters to the public. This study aims at giving a cross-national comparison for the characteristics of natural organic matters (NOM) in raw waters and/or the treated waters collected from 17 waterworks in 8 countries. The NOM of raw waters were of humin-like, protein-like, or mixed type of these two based on the excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectra. Most waterworks efficiently remove turbidities in raw waters; but could only partially remove the NOM from waters. The DOC and size exclusion chromatography area for all collected water samples revealed a linear correlation, indicating that the characteristics of NOM in waters were similar with a universal ratio existing for the DOC and the UV-area. A fraction of non-UV₂₅₄ organic matters in waters that cannot be removed by the treatment units in waterworks was noted. The water samples collected at two waterworks in Taiwan indicated that the NOM of AMW 200-1500Da with the second highest estrogenic activities amongst all NOM in the waters can penetrate the existing water treatment chain to the supply system. © 2012 Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers.