What question did this study set out to answer?

Investigate how water quality parameters influence metal particle release from ductile iron water supply pipelines.

May 7, 2026Water0 citationsOpen Access

Mechanisms of Metal Particle Release from Pipe Scales in Ductile Iron Water Supply Pipelines: Control by Water Quality Parameters

YCYu ChangTongji University MFMenghao FangBeijing University of Chemical Technology QLQing LüTongji University

Key Points

Investigate how water quality parameters influence metal particle release from ductile iron water supply pipelines.
Conducted single-factor experiments to assess effects of pH, temperature, humic acid concentration, and Mn2+ on metal release.
Used inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry for quantitative detection and various imaging techniques for characterization.
Applied first-order and second-order kinetics to analyze particle sedimentation.
Increased temperature promoted aggregation and sedimentation of metal particles, with Fe and Mn being most sensitive.
Low pH accelerated dissolution, while weakly alkaline conditions improved suspension time.
Humic acid concentration influenced particle behavior, with higher levels prolonging retention, while low concentrations enhanced dissolution.

Abstract

To clarify the control mechanism of water quality parameters on metal particle release from pipe scales in aging ductile iron water supply pipelines (service life > 20 years), this study conducted single-factor experiments to explore the effects of pH, temperature, concentration of humic acid (HA) and Mn2+ on Fe, Mn, and Al particle release. Combined with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) for quantitative detection, first-order/second-order kinetic fitting, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) characterization, the results showed that an increase in temperature generally promoted the aggregation and sedimentation of metal particles, among which Fe and Mn particles were more sensitive to temperature changes. pH affected the sedimentation process by controlling metal ion speciation and particle surface charge: low pH significantly accelerated pipe scale dissolution, while weakly alkaline conditions prolonged particle suspension time. Low-concentration HA (0.5 mg/L) promoted particle dissolution, whereas high-concentration HA (1.0–2.0 mg/L) extended particle retention time through surface coating. Mn2+ concentration exhibited an obvious concentration-dependent effect: the range of 20–50 μg/L enhanced particle suspension stability, while 80–100 μg/L accelerated particle aggregation and sedimentation. The pipe scales mainly consisted of Fe3O4, Fe2O3, Mn3O4, and Al2O3, with metal release regulated by the “element complexation–particle aggregation–crystal growth” pathway. Particle sedimentation followed first-order kinetics. Controlling pH at 7.0, temperature < 30 °C, and reducing HA/Mn2+ concentrations effectively weakened metal particle migration. This study reveals the coupled effect mechanism of water quality parameters, providing theoretical and technical support for optimizing water quality control and solving the “yellow water” problem.

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