Monitoring the influence of wastewater effluent on a small drinking water system using EEM fluorescence spectroscopy coupled with a PARAFAC and PCA statistical approach

Abstract

The potential use of a statistical approach for the investigation of complex dissolved organic matter (DOM) sources in surface water within a recycled water system monitored by excitation–emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy is shown. The work in this manuscript utilize information extracted from EEM spectroscopy to characterize DOM in collected surface water samples along with a wastewater treatment plant to drinking water treatment plant, discussing that humic-like and protein-like DOM sources predominate in the investigated water samples. Five different fluorescent components were resolved, describing several different types of DOM with different excitation and emission spectra that were distinct among the watershed sampling sites and indicating the influences of anthropogenic impacts. In addition, these novel fluorescence parameters have potential to improve resolution to direct more targeted water quality monitoring approaches.