THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY ON THE TRANSFER OF AIRBORNE BENZENE INTO WATER PRODUCED BY CONDENSATION WATER FROM AIR TECHNOLOGY

Condensation water-from-air (WFA) technology has the potential to be used worldwide in industrialized, urban, and rural environments as a source of drinking water when other sources are unavailable. This technology has applications for military units deployed throughout the world and is also currently marketed for civilian use. The relationship between airborne contaminants and the rate at which they are transferred into product water of the condensation WFA system is poorly understood. As a result, it is unknown if current and prototype WFA systems have the appropriate water purification technology to meet drinking water standards and protect human health.

This study explored temperature and humidity effects on the transfer of airborne benzene into condensation WFA product water. Benzene is a carcinogenic volatile organic compound that is common to urban and industrial environments across the globe. An airborne benzene concentration that is representative of a highly polluted urban environment was used to challenge the condensation WFA system under steady state temperature and humidity conditions in an environmental chamber. Under these settings, condensation WFA technology may play an important role in the transport and accumulation of benzene in product water. In order to accurately assess the health risk from untreated WFA product water it is necessary to model product water contamination levels in relation to airborne concentrations. Predicting product water contamination levels will assist in risk assessment and selection of appropriate treatment technologies for future WFA technologies, resulting in the prevention of potential health risk exposures subsequent to the ingestion of contaminated drinking water.