Honors Theses and Capstones

Date of Award

Spring 2013

Project Type

Senior Honors Thesis

College or School

CEPS

Department

Environmental Engineering

Program or Major

Environmental Engineering: Municipal Processes

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

First Advisor

M. Robin Collins

Abstract

Trihalomethanes (THMs) form in drinking water treatment systems as a byproduct of chlorination and are problematic from a public health perspective due to their carcinogenic potential and their potential for additional formation throughout distribution systems. Recently, regulations have tightened on THMs in an attempt to reduce the risk of exposure for consumers at the far ends of distribution systems. Due to widespread use of chlorine and the reluctance of drinking water providers to overhaul current treatment systems, research has been undertaken to investigate post-treatment removal of THMs. One such method is spray aeration, whereby water is recycled in water storage tanks by spraying it through showerheads. Using a spray aeration model and a simple sensitivity analysis, the following study evaluates the influence of various parameters on the model’s output. It was determined that the configuration and magnitude of the recycle flow were the most influential parameters, while spray angle and the distribution of THM species (speciation) were the least influential. These results are important for practitioners as they can help them to determine the most important design parameters for spray aeration systems. Additionally, the following study elucidates the advantages of spray aeration in the removal of brominated THM species.

Comments

The primary content of this work has been removed at the request of the author. The abstract, table of contents, and references are available.

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