Alternative strategies for removing bromate

Stage 1 of the Disinfectants-Disinfection By-Products Rule specifies a maximum contaminant level of 10 μg/L for bromate ion, a by-product of the ozonation of natural water containing bromide ion. Several options for removing bromate after its formation are evaluated: reduction with ferrous iron (Fe²⁺), reduction on the surface of activated carbon, ultraviolet irradiation, and high-energy electron beam irradiation. For all the processes, bromide was found in the treated water, which indicates that the dominating mechanism of bromate removal is chemical reduction. If Fe²⁺ is introduced after preozonation, it may function both as a reducing agent for bromate and as a coagulant for dissolved organic carbon removal.