Development of Microfluidic Photocatalytic Oxidation System for Drinking Water Treatment

Abstract

A novel microfluidic photocatalytic oxidation system was developed to remove natural organic matter (e.g., humic acids) and control the formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in drinking water after chlorination. The effeciency of microfluidic photocatalytic oxidation of humic acids (HA) was evaluated at different flow rates and initial pH. The formation of disinfection byproducts of treated samples after a 24 chlorination was quantified by Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry. A conventional photocatalytic oxidation test was performed in a 250 ml bottle for comparison. The results showed that the microreactor has a higher efficiency on HA removal and a better control the DBP formation potential (DBPfp). The removal rate of HA in microreactor was reached to 45% in 2.3 min at pH of 5. The haloacetic acid formation potential in the bottle test was raised after treatment, whereas a reduction of 56.1% was achieved in the microfluidic device. Therefore, this quick treatment process has showed strong benefit for drinking water treatment.