Alandra Kahl, University of Arizona, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, alandrak@email.arizona.edu
Abstract:
It is now widely appreciated that trace organic compounds can affect the finished quality of water that is served to the public for potable use. Chemical fate during infiltration and underground transport to points of recovery is therefore relevant to the quality of delivered water. As reclaimed water begins to play a more important role in our regional water resource portfolio, interventions including natural processes during infiltration and underground transport will assume additional importance. Here we will attempt to (i) measure the levels of a specific trace contaminant, PFOS, in several locations along the Santa Cruz River that serve as drinking water sources for major metropolitan areas (including Tucson), and (ii) measure the degree to which infiltration and underground storage/transport processes contribute to overall attenuation of this compound.
Keywords: infiltation, trace contaminants, attenuation