|
|
Microplastics in Drinking Water
Čermáková, Lenka ; Novotná, Kateřina ; Peer, Petra ; Janda, V. ; Pivokonský, Martin
The research was focused on microplastics occurring in water sources and in drinking water. Recently, the topic of microplastics in water is very up to date. However, most of the studies are focused on quantification of microplastics in sea water, sediments or surface waters, which are not a source of raw water for drinking water treatment, and at the same time the most of studies deal with the analysis of particles in the size range of 0.3 - 5 mm. The subject of the present study was to quantify microplastics from 0.2 μm in raw and treated water from three unnamed water treatment plants in the Czech Republic and to determine their size distribution, shape and material composition. It has been found that the number of microplastics ranged from 1414-7006 L-1 particles in raw water and 305-921 L-1 particles in treated water. Microplastics smaller than 10 μm were the most plentiful in both raw and treated water samples. Fragments clearly prevailed at two of the water treatment plants and fibres together with fragments predominated at one case.
|
|
|
Coagulation of different kinds of algal organic matter
Novotná, Kateřina ; Načeradská, Jana ; Barešová, Magdalena ; Janda, V. ; Pivokonský, Martin
This study focused on coagulation of different algal organic matter (AOM) fractions, especially on its non-proteinaceous fraction. It was derived from cellular organic matter of Chlorella vulgaris, a freshwater algae. Two different Al-based coagulants were employed, i.e. alum and pre-hydrolyzed polyaluminim chloride (PACl). The highest coagulation efficiency was obtained at pH around neutral (pH 7.1-7.5 for alum and pH 7.6-8.0 for PACl) at relatively high dosages of coagulant (8 and 10 mg·L-1 as Al for alum and PACl, resp.). However, the maximum removal reached under the optimized conditions was only approximately 20%. The coagulation behaviour and efficiency of non-proteinaceous matter greatly differ from AOM peptide-proteins, which is discussed in the study.
|
|
|
Water for Life – Strategy AV 21
Pivokonský, Martin ; Čermáková, Lenka ; Novotná, Kateřina ; Pivokonská, Lenka
Theme of Water for Life was newly added to the research program Natural Hazards of Strategy AV 21 in 2018 thanks to the Institute of Hydrodynamics of the Czech Academy of Science. It focuses on comprehensive and systematic research and cooperation between experts and stakeholders in the field of water resource protection, water supply and water quality. Important part of the project is communication with the public. The Drinking Water Conference in Tábor is the largest and the most important conference on drinking water in the Czech Republic. Experts, technologists and water managers are meeting every two years and discussing new knowledge and issues related to the water treatment.
|
|
|
Influence of organic matter on the character of aggregates formed during coagulation/flocculation process in dringing water treatment
Filipenská, Monika ; Pivokonská, Lenka ; Vašatová, Petra ; Pivokonský, Martin
Characteristics of aggregates (size, shape, density and porosity) affect separation efficiency. These characteristics come from properties of impurities (molecular weight and structure, charge density, affinity to water, etc.), coagulation parameters (pH, type and concentration of coagulants, etc.) and by physical conditions (shear rate and time of mixing). In this work, we describe relations between the size of aggregates and shear rate and moreover dependency on the characteristics of coagulated compounds. In order to understand dependency on compounds, flocs formed by kaolinite, Algal Organic Matter (AOM) and a mixture of the same were studied. There was found aggregates are bigger and more porous when AOM is present. The most striking result is that aggregates size changes in dependence on shear rate are not smooth in progress. A rapid change for the kaolinite-coagulant suspension and two rapid changes for the suspensions containing AOM were observed. These were attributed to various intermolecular interactions between floc components participating in coagulation at the different shear rate.
|
|
|
Are cyanobacteria capable of enhancing drinking water treatment? Sci-fi or reality?
Barešová, Magdalena ; Načeradská, Jana ; Novotná, Kateřina ; Pivokonská, Lenka ; Pivokonský, Martin
Drinking water treatment struggles with cyanobacteria and algae mainly on a seasonal basis especially when they decay and release amounts of cellular organic matter (COM). As COM is not only difficult to be removed but it also impacts the removability of other impurities, this paper aims to evaluate the effect of COM derived from two common cyanobacterial species– Microcystis aeruginosa and Merismopedia tenuissima on coagulation of other naturally occurring particles and molecules present in surface waters: kaolin suspension, humin substances and cells of M. tenuissima. Our findings show that higher COM concentrations do not have to disrupt coagulation. When COM interacts with other impurities, it can even lower coagulant doses and increase both turbidity and humic matter removal efficiencies.
|
guest ::
