Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID ND-2024-Xu-1

Formation and Decay of Disinfection Byproducts (DBP) in Water Distribution Systems

Institute: North Dakota
Year Established: 2024 Start Date: 2024-09-01 End Date: 2025-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $14,338 Total Non-Federal Funds: $14,875

Principal Investigators: Mohsin Uddin

Project Summary: This project aims to investigate the formation and decay of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) within water distribution systems. DBPs are toxic chemicals generated from the reactions between disinfectants and natural organic matter during drinking water treatment, posing severe health risks. The impacts of key factors including pH, temperature, residence time, types of organic matters, pipe materials, and presence of metal ions (Cu2+, Fe2+, Pb2+, Mg2+, and Ca2+) on DBP formation and decay in water were individually focused on previous studies. This proposed research will systematically investigate the mechanism of DBP formation and decay in water distribution systems under variable real-world environments and operating conditions. The findings will provide insights to better understand the cumulative effects of multiple factors, which will be useful for water regulatory agencies to optimize water treatment processes and mitigate potential health risks associated with DBP exposure.