EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF AIR TEMPERATURE AND AMBIENT BENZENE VAPOR CONCENTRATIONS ON CONDENSATION WATER FROM AIR TECHNOLOGY PRODUCT WATER

Globally, drinking water resources are diminishing in both quantity and quality. This situation has renewed interest in Condensation Water From Air (CWFA) technology, which utilizes water vapor in the air to produce water for both potable and non-potable purposes. However, there are currently insufficient data available to determine the relationship between air contaminants and the rate at which they are transferred from the air into CWFA untreated product water. This study implemented a novel experimental method utilizing an environmental test chamber to evaluate how air quality and temperature affects CWFA untreated product water quality to collect data that will inform the type of water treatment required to protect human health. This study found that temperature and benzene air concentration affected the untreated product water from a CWFA system. Benzene vapor concentrations representing a polluted outdoor environment resulted in benzene product water concentrations an order of magnitude below the U.S. military and USEPA drinking water standard of 5 µg L^-1. In contrast, benzene vapor concentrations representing an indoor industrial environment resulted in benzene product water concentrations up to 100% above the drinking water standard. Coil temperature and direct benzene condensation significantly affected the concentration of benzene in the product water, with lower air temperature resulting in an increased benzene concentration in the product water. Environmental health professionals and engineers can integrate the results of this assessment to predict benzene concentrations in the product water and take appropriate health protective measures.