Removing ammonium from water intended for human consumption. A review of existing technologies

Abstract

Ammonium is an inorganic compound present in water at pH<9. Ammonium has no toxic effects on human health, but its presence in water can indicate a water pollution. The presence of ammonium in groundwater source can be largely determined by the reducing conditions from the aquifer, while in surface water sources it is found only in polluted waters. In water supply systems, the presence of excess ammonium in raw water is not desirable because it can generate problems such as: unpleasant odors, microbial development in the water distribution system, reducing the efficiency of chlorine disinfection and increased chlorine consumption. Over time, several methods have been developed to reduce the concentration of ammonium from water, these being physical, chemical, biological or a combination of these methods. The article presents a review of the technologies currently used to reduce /oxidize ammonium from water. These mainly includes: ion exchange and adsorption, biological filtration, air stripping, breakpoint chlorination and reverse osmosis.