Bromide occurrence in Croatian groundwater and application of literature models for bromate formation

Bromide in water can form undesirable by-products such as bromate when treated by ozonation during drinking water production. The maximum contaminant level (MCL) for bromate is 10 µg/L in most countries because it is suspected of being carcinogenic. In this paper, the geographical distribution of bromide concentration in Croatian groundwater is presented covering the Pannonian basin and the Dinarides (Adriatic Sea). Groundwater in Croatian wellfields predominantly has a bromide content of less than 50 µg/L and thus belongs to the group with low potential for bromate formation. Waters with higher bromide concentrations were found mainly in the coastal regions of Croatia, probably due to seawater intrusion. In addition, bromide concentration showed a positive correlation of 0.6 with conductivity, chloride, and sodium. In addition, the potential of 123 groundwaters analyzed in this study to form bromate when treated with ozone was evaluated using models available in the literature. Analysis of water from Croatian wellfields indicated that the potential for bromate formation above the MCL during ozonation was relatively low. The models used from the literature predicted quite different values of bromate concentration when applied to the same water, with some values exceeding those theoretically possible. Selected models may be useful as a general warning of possible bromate formation.