Achievement

Brinkman, B. et al. (2010). Temporal Variation of Natural Organic Matter and Effects on Treatment. Journal of the American Water Works Association.

Near real-time monitoring of natural organic matter (NOM) concentration and composition in the upper Mississippi River was performed for eleven months. Distinct seasonal trends in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and ultraviolet light absorbance at 254 nm were observed as well as short-term (i.e. hours to days) increases that correlated with increases in river discharge during snowmelt and precipitation events. The permeability (i.e. transmembrane pressure-normalized flux) of hydrophilic ultrafiltration membranes was negatively correlated with river flow (p <0.01) and raw water specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA) (p < 0.01) but not raw water DOC concentration (p = 0.865). Such data potentially could be used for real-time control of chemical dosing rates as well as membrane backwash and cleaning schedules.