Stoichiometry of removal of natural organic matter by ion exchange

Five anion exchange resins, including a magnetic ion exchange (MIEX) resin, were evaluated for removal of Suwannee River Fulvic Acid (SRFA) in the presence of bicarbonate and chloride. The charge density of SRFA, obtained by potentiometric titration, was used to perform charge balances for ion exchange reactions involving SRFA, bicarbonate, and chloride under different solution conditions. The results clearly show the equivalence of SRFA uptake and chloride release by ion exchange. Although the structure of the anion exchange resins did not affect the stoichiometry of the reaction, the polyacrylic resins did exhibit greater removal of SRFA than the polystyrene resins. The hindered removal of SRFA by the polystyrene resins was hypothesized to be a result of size exclusion. The MIEX resin, which has a polyacrylic structure, performed similarly to the other polyacrylic resins. For the MIEX resin, the separation factor for SRFA over chloride was similar to 8 times greater than for bicarbonate over chloride. This work provides an improved understanding of the interactions between natural organic matter (NOM), inorganic anions, and anion exchange resins, and should result in more effective applications of ion exchange for the removal of NOM in the treatment of drinking water.