Abstract
Chlorine addition as a biocide in seawater results in the formation of chlorination by-products such as trihalomethanes (THMs). Removal of THMs is of importance as they are potential mutagenic and carcinogenic agents. In this context, a study was conducted that used ionizing radiation to remove THMs from chlorinated (1, 3, and 5 mg/L) seawater by applying various dosages (0.4–5.0 kGy) of gamma radiation. Bromoform (BF) showed a faster rate of degradation as compared to other halocarbons such as bromodichloromethane (BDCM) and dibromochloromethane (DBCM). In chlorine-dosed seawater, total irradiation dose of 0.4 to 5 kGy caused percentage reduction in the range of 6.9 to 76.7 %, 2.3 to 99.6 %, and 45.7 to 98.3 % for BDCM, DBCM, and BF, respectively. During the irradiation process, pH of the chlorinated seawater decreased with increase in the absorbed dose; however, no change in total organic carbon (TOC) was observed. The results show that gamma dose of 2.5 kGy was adequate for maximum degradation of THM; but for complete mineralization, higher dose would be required.
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We thank Arvind for his assistance in sampling seawater for experiments.
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Rajamohan, R., Natesan, U., Venugopalan, V.P. et al. Removal of trihalomethane from chlorinated seawater using gamma radiation. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 18772–18778 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5044-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5044-z