Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID HI_2024_Marron

Identification of disinfection byproduct precursor compounds in JP-5 jet fuel

Institute: Hawaii
Year Established: 2024 Start Date: 2024-09-01 End Date: 2025-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $41,501 Total Non-Federal Funds: $41,503

Principal Investigators: Emily Marron

Project Summary: Disinfection byproducts (DBPs) are harmful chemical contaminants formed from the reaction between oxidants (e.g., free chlorine and chloramine) and organic precursor material during drinking water disinfection. Compared to surface water, the treatment of groundwater typically results in lower DBP concentrations due to its naturally lower levels of precursors in the form of dissolved organic matter. However, the release of fuel from underground storage tanks into groundwater could introduce precursor material, resulting in a corresponding increase in the concentration of DBPs at the tap. Recent laboratory findings have demonstrated that JP-5, a common military jet fuel, contributes to the formation of elevated DBP concentrations when chlorinated in simulated freshwater. Based on these results, there is an urgent need to (1) identify compounds in JP-5 that serve as precursors to the identified DBPs, (2) characterize DBPs, including higher molecular weight DBPs, using formation potential tests with JP-5 spiked ultrapure water and groundwater, and (3) characterize the formation kinetics of select DBPs to better understand which of the contaminants pose the most risk at the tap. The work completed through this project will result in a peer-reviewed journal publication as well as preliminary results for a federal funding opportunity (e.g., NSF or EPA).