Aluminium speciation was characterized to examine the changes after filtration, in drinking water systems with low (≤56 μg l−1) and high (>100 μg l−1) aluminium concentrations at plant outlet. The treatment chemicals were also examined, and only lime showed significant aluminium contamination. This contamination varied from 0.4 to 2.5 μg mg−1 and was largely water soluble (mean: 85%). The amounts of aluminium in lime added after filtration were equivalent to water concentrations ranging from 8.6 to 34 μg l−1 (mean: 17.5 μg l−1). By using the less contaminated lime supply, the aluminium concentration contributions could have been four times lower (mean: 4.1 μg l−1). When determining the concentration differences between the effluents of one filtering unit and plant outlet, the aluminium changes at the nine low-aluminium plants were associated with lime addition, and were mostly detected in soluble form. The changes at the eight high-aluminium plants paralleled problems occurring at previous stages and were mostly attributed to variations occurring at additional filtering units. These situations prevented detection of other changes (e.g. post-precipitation). The monitoring of leachable particulate aluminium and of various parameters (pH, turbidity, Al–turbidity relationship) was also useful in differentiating particulate matter and demonstrating the effects of undesirable lime properties (dissolution delays, particulate residues).
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Research Article|
November 01 2005
Monitoring aluminium after filtration
Denis Bérubé
;
1Environmental Health Centre, Health Canada, Tunney's Pasture, 0800B3, Ottawa, Ontario Canada, K1A 0L2
E-mail: denis_berube@hc-sc.gc.ca
Search for other works by this author on:
Mark Soucy
Mark Soucy
1Environmental Health Centre, Health Canada, Tunney's Pasture, 0800B3, Ottawa, Ontario Canada, K1A 0L2
Search for other works by this author on:
Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua (2005) 54 (7): 463–473.
Article history
Received:
May 03 2005
Accepted:
August 01 2005
Citation
Denis Bérubé, Mark Soucy; Monitoring aluminium after filtration. Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua 1 November 2005; 54 (7): 463–473. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.2005.0043
Download citation file:
Impact Factor 1.319
CiteScore 2.0
11
Views
0
Citations
Cited by
Subscribe to Open
This paper is Open Access via a Subscribe to Open model. Individuals can help sustain this model by contributing the cost of what would have been author fees. Find out more here.