Abstract

A preliminary study has been performed to evaluate the vulnerability of drinking water sources in the Netherlands to pollution by (new) chemicals and to investigate the predictability of the removal of organic micropollutants by drinking water treatment on the basis of data on physico-chemical properties on the micropollutants. The results suggest that from the octanol-water partition coefficient the removal effect by coagulation, activated carbon filtration and grondwater recharge can be predicted roughly. From the Henry coefficient, the removal of volatile compounds during storage in open reservoirs and groundwater recharge can be predictid. The data on biodegradability from EEC or OECD tests can be used to estimate the removal during groundwater recharge under aerobic conditions and by slow sand filtration.