Characteristics of DOM in 14 AAO processes of municipal wastewater treatment plants

Abstract The characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) such as chemical composition, molecular weight (MW) distribution and hydrophobic/hydrophilic distribution can affect wastewater treatment efficiency, effluent quality and ecological risk. Fluorescence spectroscopy could provide a quick estimate of DOM characteristics during the monitoring of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In this study, the characteristic and quantitative correlation of DOM from 14 anaerobic-anoxic-oxic (AAO) processes of WWTPs located in different provinces (municipalities) of China were investigated. The results showed that DOM of MW