Comparative optimization of organic and inorganic coagulants for Bromide removal from Ardabil drinking water

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research/Original/Regular Article

Authors

1 M.Sc. Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran

3 Faculty of Medical, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

The serious health risks associated with brominated disinfection by-products necessitate robust control strategies for bromide precursors in drinking water. Studies have shown that conventional coagulation process using commonly applied coagulants are often insufficient for removing monovalent anions such as bromide. This limitation is particularly pronounced under alkaline conditions. Accordingly, to overcome this issue, the present study investigates the application of polymeric coagulants as an alternative strategy. For a more focused evaluation, PAC was selected as the inorganic polymeric coagulant and PM-667 as the organic polymeric coagulant. To comprehensively assess process performance, key operational parameters including pH, coagulant dosage, and initial bromide concentration were examined. Response Surface Methodology (RSM), implemented via Design-Expert software, was employed to model the complex interactions between these parameters and to determine the optimal operational conditions. Optimization analysis revealed distinct coagulation behaviors: PM-667 achieved a maximum bromide removal efficiency of 88.90% under near-neutral conditions (pH 7.3), whereas PAC reached its peak efficiency of 82.72% under mildly acidic conditions (pH 6.5). Importantly, under alkaline conditions (pH 8.5) characteristic of the study area (Ardabil drinking water), PAC demonstrated superior resilience, maintaining a removal efficiency of 55.86%, compared to 43.09% for PM-667 and 36.57% for ferric chloride (FeCl₃). These findings provide a data-driven framework for coagulant selection. They also offer practical guidance for water treatment plant operators to adjust coagulant type and dosage according to raw water pH, thereby enhancing treatment efficiency and reducing operational costs.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Water and Soil Management and Modelling

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 25 February 2026

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History

  • Receive Date: 06 January 2026
  • Revise Date: 23 February 2026
  • Accept Date: 25 February 2026

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