Page 92 - EER-2-3

Explora: Environment

and Resource

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Comparative analysis of chlorination byproduct

formation in galvanized iron and high-density
polyethylene pipes using low-cost filtration

techniques

Musaab Habib Bangash * , Naeem Ejaz , and Sadia Nasreen 2
1
1
1 Department of Civil Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology Taxila, Taxila, Punjab,
Pakistan
2 Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology Taxila,
Taxila, Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract
Two prominent chlorination disinfection byproducts (DBPs)—trihalomethanes and
trihaloacetic acids—are formed in drinking water when chlorine reacts with other
constituents. The production of these DBPs has emerged as a significant public
health concern. At the same time, disinfection of potable water remains essential as a
safety measure to effectively combat waterborne diseases by eliminating pathogenic
*Corresponding author: microorganisms. To regulate the formation of these two major DBPs in the water
Musaab Habib Bangash distribution network, one of the key factors is the nature of the pipe material used,
(musaab.habib@students.uettaxila.
edu.pk) along with the implementation of cost-effective abatement techniques. This study
compared two types of potable water supply pipe materials—galvanized iron and
Citation: Bangash MH, Ejaz N,
Nasreen S. Comparative analysis high-density polythene pipes—for their role in the production of chlorine DBPs. Both
of chlorination byproduct formation materials showed different weightage ratios of DBP formation when chlorinated
in galvanized iron and high- water came into contact with the inner surface of distribution pipes. Two filtration
density polyethylene pipes using
low-cost filtration techniques. setups, i.e., granular activated carbon (GAC) and sand filtration media, were evaluated
Explora Environ Resour. as abatement techniques for removing DBPs, depending on the water source and
2025;2(3):025240047. pipe material used. The findings contribute to understanding the differences in the
doi: 10.36922/EER025240047
generation of major DBP species under known supply media, as well as the removal
Received: June 9, 2025 efficiency of DBP precursors by GAC and sand filtration. Overall, the results reveal
Revised: June 29, 2025 that GAC and sand filtration media can serve as low-cost and sustainable alternatives
to costly, complex filtration membranes for DBP removal.
Accepted: July 3, 2025
Published online: August 14, 2025
Keywords: Controlled chlorination; Chromatograms; Mass spectrometry; Granular
Copyright: © 2025 Author(s). activated carbon; Silica medium; Dissolved organic matter
This is an Open-Access article
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution
License, permitting distribution,
and reproduction in any medium, 1. Introduction
provided the original work is
properly cited. In recent years, drinking water disinfection has emerged as an important public
Publisher’s Note: AccScience health measure, effectively preventing waterborne diseases by removing pathogenic
Publishing remains neutral with microorganisms. With the advancement of technology, concerns over water pollution
regard to jurisdictional claims in 1
published maps and institutional have increased significantly. Chlorination is one of the most effective and low-cost
affiliations. methods to eliminate microorganisms and is a viable approach for suppressing microbial

Volume 2 Issue 3 (2025) 1 doi: 10.36922/EER025240047