Effects of pre-oxidation on residual dissolved aluminum in coagulated water: A pilot-scale study

•Changes of DOM propertycould be characterized by differential absorbance spectra.•Ozonation and chlorination can strongly alter the functional groups of DOM.•Al(III)-binding moieties exhibited strong linearity with proton-binding moieties.•Pre-oxidation is an effective strategy for controlling residual dissolved aluminum.•The utility of pre-oxidant should base on the raw water to control residual al. Residual dissolved aluminum (Al) in drinking water is becoming a serious concern due to its high potential risks to human health. However, the mechanism by which residual dissolved Al forms is yet to be elucidated in detail. In this study, the effects of pre-oxidation by ozonation and chlorination on the properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and residual Al concentrations remaining in solution after coagulation were explored in a pilot-scale test. Changes in the DOM properties caused by the water treatment process were characterized by ultraviolet-visible absorbance spectroscopy. Theprotonation-active sites, carboxylic- and phenolic-type groupsof DOM were quantified by spectral parameter DlnA400 (differential log-transformed spectra at wavelength 400 nm) in combination with the revised non-ideal competitive adsorption model. The results show that ozonation and chlorination significantly affect the properties of DOM and the amount of residual dissolved Al in coagulated drinking water. This effect was associated with the changes in the carboxylic- and phenolic-type groups in DOM. Results of the study show that residual dissolved Al in coagulated water can be controlled by affecting theAl binding sites in DOM by pre-oxidation before coagulation. The nature of pre-oxidation agent and its dosage should be selected depending on the quality of the raw water to be treated. Ozonation was concluded to be preferable pre-oxidation agent for the water in examined this study.