ZHANGZihao,LUZhili,MATengchong,et al.Enrichment of Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances by Iron/Manganese Particles and Pipe-scale Composite Deposits in Drinking Water Distribution System[J].China Water & Wastewater,2026,42(3):53-58.
Click Copy

Enrichment of Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances by Iron/Manganese Particles and Pipe-scale Composite Deposits in Drinking Water Distribution System

China Water & Wastewater[ISSN:1000-4062/CN:12-1073/TU] volume: 第42卷 Number: 第3期 Page: 53-58 Column: Date of publication: 2026-02-01
Author(s):
ZHANG　Zihao1; 2;  LU　Zhili1;  MA　Tengchong2;  SHI　Baoyou2; 3;  LI　Guiwei2
（1. Institute of Environmental and Municipal Engineering， North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power， Zhengzhou 450045， China； 2. Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology， Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences， Chinese Academy of Sciences， Beijing 100085， China； 3. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences， Beijing 100049， China）
Keywords:
drinking water;  iron;  manganese;  pipe?scale deposit;  per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs);  enrichment
Abstract:
Iron and manganese particles, as well as other pipe-scale deposits, commonly exist in drinking water distribution systems. These substances can significantly influence the transport and fate of trace-level per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). In this study, four representative PFASs, namely perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorobutyric acid (PFBA), and perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS), were selected to investigate the enrichment behavior of trace PFASs by iron and manganese particles. The results demonstrated that at both iron and manganese particles with a concentration of 1 mg/L (expressed as Fe or Mn) exhibited certain enrichment effects on PFOA, PFOS, and PFBS at 200 ng/L, with PFOS showing the highest enrichment rate. When the iron particle concentration reached 50 mg/L, the enrichment rates for PFOA and PFBS were 25.6% and 48.3%, respectively, while that for PFBA remained relatively low (5.6%). Given the relatively high environmental prevalence of PFOA, its enrichment by iron and manganese particles under different water quality conditions was further examined. Water quality was found to markedly influence PFOA enrichment: iron and manganese particles (containing aluminum) in tap water showed significantly higher PFOA enrichment compared to those in deionized water. Long-term circulating pipe simulation experiments further revealed that composite pipe-scale deposits accumulated on pipe walls—containing iron, manganese, aluminum, and biofilm—could substantially enrich PFOA. Moreover, the PFOA enrichment capacity per unit mass of metal particles in these pipe?scale deposits was considerably greater than that observed in deionized water system.
Last Update: 2026-02-01