Point-of-use water disinfection using UV light-emitting diodes to reduce bacterial contamination

The treatment process described in this research explores the impact of exposing water samples containing fecal coliforms to the radiation produced by single ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) operating at 265 nm. UV LEDs are long lasting, compact in size and produce more efficient light output than traditional mercury-vapour bulbs, making them ideal for application in point-of-use disinfection systems, such as in remote areas. In this study, contaminated water samples containing either a pure culture of Escherichia coli or tertiary effluent from the City of Regina Wastewater Treatment Plant were used to study the application and efficiency of using UV LEDs for water disinfection. The results indicate that bacterial inactivation was achieved in a time-dependent manner, with 1- and 2.5-log E. coli reductions in water following 20 and 50 min of UV LED exposure, respectively. Ultraviolet radiation was less effective in reducing coliform bacteria in wastewater samples due to the elevated turbidity levels. Further work remains to be completed to optimize the application of UV LEDs for point-of-use disinfection systems; however, the results from this study support that bacterial inactivation using UV LEDs is possible, meriting further future technological development of the LEDs.     

The photocatalytic disinfection of urban waste waters

In this paper we present the results of the photocatalytic disinfection of urban waste water. Two microbial groups, total coliforms and Streptococcus faecalis, have been used as indexes to test disinfection efficiencies. Different experimental parameters have been checked, such as the effect of TiO2, solar or UV-lamp light and pH. Disinfection of water samples has been achieved employing both UV-lamp and solar light in agreement with data shown by other authors. The higher disinfection rates obtained employing an UV-lamp may be explained by the stronger incident light intensity. Nevertheless no consistent differences have been found between TiO2-photocatalysis and direct solar or UV-lamp light irradiation at natural sample pH (7.8). At pH 5 the presence of TiO2 increases the relative inactivation rate compared with the absence of the catalyst. After the photocatalytic bacterial inactivation, the later bacterial reappearance was checked for total coliforms at natural pH and pH 5, with and without TiO2. Two h after the photocatalytic treatment, CFU increment was almost nill. But 24 and 48 h later an important bacterial CFU increment was observed. This CFU increment is slower after irradiation with TiO2 at pH 5 in non-air-purged samples.     

Photocatalytic elimination of indoor air biological and chemical pollution in realistic conditions

The photocatalytic elimination of microorganisms from indoor air in realistic conditions and the feasibility of simultaneous elimination of chemical contaminants have been studied at laboratory scale. Transparent polymeric monoliths have been coated with sol-gel TiO(2) films and used as photocatalyst to treat real indoor air in a laboratory-scale single-step annular photocatalytic reactor. The analytical techniques used to characterize the air quality and analyze the results of the photocatalytic tests were: colony counting, microscopy and PCR with subsequent sequencing for microbial quantification and identification; automated thermal desorption coupled to gas chromatography with mass spectrometry detection for chemical analysis. The first experiments performed proved that photocatalysis based on UVA-irradiated TiO(2) for the reduction of the concentration of bacteria in the air could compete with the conventional photolytic treatment with UVC radiation, more expensive and hazardous. Simultaneously to the disinfection, the concentration of volatile organic compounds was greatly reduced, which adds value to this technology for real applications. The fungal colony number was not apparently modified.     

Application of photocatalysis as a post treatment method of a heterotrophic-autotrophic denitrification reactor effluent

The aim of this study is the application of photocatalysis as an effective post treatment scheme for the removal of the organic matter and bacteria released by an innovative biological denitrification process referred to as heterotrophic-autotrophic denitrification, which combines heterotrophic and autotrophic denitrification processes. Photocatalytic treatment was applied using TiO2 as a photocatalyst in the loading range of 0.25-2.00 g l(-1) for irradiation periods up to 60 min using a black light fluorescent lamp with an intensity of I(0)=1309 microW cm(-2). The photocatalytic inactivation data were modelled to pseudo first order kinetics as well as by the areal rates to evaluate the photocatalyst loading effect. Chlorination was used as a final disinfection step to attain an overall inactivation of total coliforms as well as to the formation of very low level of trihalomethanes.     

Inactivation of LPS and RNase A on photocatalytically active surfaces

TiO₂ coated surfaces are able to generate highly reactive oxidizing species under mild UV-A light exposure in the presence of water and oxygen. We have demonstrated that these radicals are sufficient to eliminate different pathogenic bacteria, by breaking their cell walls. The photocatalytic activity of surfaces coated with titanium dioxide offers therefore an alternative possibility of disinfection. However, restriction of bacterial growth does not protect surfaces from bacterial derived contaminations, such as endotoxins. Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and Ribonuclease A (RNAse A) represent the two most abundant contaminations, causing severe problems in biomedical and immunological research as well as in the pharmaceutical industry. Due to their high stability, complete removal of these contaminants is technically challenging. Using irradiated TiO₂ coated glass plates, RNAse A and LPS containing contaminations could be completely inactivated. By establishing highly sensitive immuno-based assays, destruction of the contaminants was quantified and shown to be independent of the initial concentrations, following a zero-order reaction. Exposure for 96 h resulted in a reduction of 11 ng of LPS and 7 units of RNase A cm⁻² surface. These amounts are comparable to contamination levels found under standard working conditions. Titanium dioxide coatings provide therefore a powerful tool for auto-disinfection and self-cleaning of surfaces.     

Bacterial response to photocatalytic degradation of 6-chlorovanillin

The oxidation of a 186 ppm 6-chlorovanillin solution was performed using impregnated TiO2 glass rings in a 1 l photochemical reactor. Fifty per cent degradation was obtained after 60 min with recirculation of the solution. Then, oxidised samples were submitted under aerobic conditions to bacterial degradation in the Pseudomonas paucimobilis (S37) and Burkholderia cepacia (PZK). Both selected aerobic bacteria degrade more efficiently the photocatalysed samples, being PZK strain better than S37. A first-order kinetic was observed in both systems photocatalytic and bacterial degradation.     

Biodegradability and toxicity assessment of trans-chlordane photochemical treatment

The removal of trans-chlordane (C(10)H(6)Cl(8)) from aqueous solutions was studied using UV, UV/H(2)O(2), UV/H(2)O(2)/Fe(2+), UV/TiO(2), or UV/TiO(2)/H(2)O(2) treatment using either UV/Vis blue lamps or UVC lamps (254 nm). H(2)O(2), FeSO(4) and TiO(2) were added at 1700, 456, and 2500 mgL(-1), respectively. trans-Chlordane was not significantly removed in non-irradiated controls and in samples irradiated with UV/Vis. It was also not removed in the absence of surfactant Triton X-114 added at 250 mgL(-1). In the presence of the surfactant, trans-chlordane concentration was reduced by 95-100% after 48 h of UVC and UVC/H(2)O(2) treatments and 70-80% after UVC/H(2)O(2)/Fe(2+), UVC/TiO(2) and UVC/H(2)O(2)/TiO(2) treatments. Based on these results, UVC, UVC/H(2)O(2) and UVC/TiO(2) treatments were further investigated. UVC treatment supported the highest pollutant removal (100% in 48 h), dechlorination efficiency (81% in 48 h), and detoxification to Lepidium sativum seed germination and activated sludge respiration although irradiated samples remained toxic to Chlorella vulgaris. Biodegradation of the UVC irradiated samples removed the source of algae toxicity but this could not be clearly attributed to the removal of trans-chlordane photoproducts because the surfactant interfered with the chemical and biological assays. Evidence was found that trans-chlordane was photodegraded through photolysis causing its successive dechlorination. trans-Chlordane removal was well described by a first order kinetic model at a rate of 0.21±0.01h(-1) at the 95% confidence interval.     

Ultraviolet light-emitting diodes in water disinfection

Background, aim, and scope  The novel system of ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (UV LEDs) was studied in water disinfection. Conventional UV lamps, like mercury vapor lamp, consume much energy and are considered to be problem waste after use. UV LEDs are energy efficient and free of toxicants. This study showed the suitability of LEDs in disinfection and provided information of the effect of two emitted wavelengths and different test mediums to Escherichia coli destruction. Materials and methods  Common laboratory strain of E. coli (K12) was used and the effects of two emitted wavelengths (269 and 276 nm) were investigated with two photolytic batch reactors both including ten LEDs. The effects of test medium were examined with ultrapure water, nutrient and water, and nutrient and water with humic acids. Results  Efficiency of reactors was almost the same even though the one emitting higher wavelength had doubled optical power compared to the other. Therefore, the effect of wavelength was evident and the radiation emitted at 269 nm was more powerful. Also, the impact of background was studied and noticed to have only slight deteriorating effect. In the 5-min experiment, the bacterial reduction of three to four log colony-forming units (CFU) per cubic centimeter was achieved, in all cases. Discussion  When turbidity of the test medium was greater, part of the UV radiation was spent on the absorption and reactions with extra substances on liquid. Humic acids can also coat the bacteria reducing the sensitivity of the cells to UV light. The lower wavelength was distinctly more efficient when the optical power is considered, even though the difference of wavelengths was small. The reason presumably is the greater absorption of DNA causing more efficient bacterial breakage. Conclusions  UV LEDs were efficient in E. coli destruction, even if LEDs were considered to have rather low optical power. The effect of wavelengths was noticeable but the test medium did not have much impact. Recommendations and perspectives  This study found UV LEDs to be an optimal method for bacterial disinfection. The emitted wavelength was found to be an essential factor when using LEDs; thus, care should be taken in selecting the proper LED for maximum disinfection.     

Effect of freezing on photoreactivation of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis

The effect of freezing on photoreactivation of two strains of Escherichia coli (ATCC strain 25922 and O157:H7 strain 961019) and two strains of Enterococcus faecalis (strain ATCC 51299, vancomycin-resistant and strain ATCC 29212, vancomycin-sensitive) following ultraviolet irradiation were examined. The level of log photoreactivation of the freezing treated test organisms (frozen at -7, -15, or -30 degrees C then thawed at room temperature prior to ultraviolet irradiation) was compared with that of the samples that had not been frozen. Freezing had obvious impact on the response of the test organisms to visible light following ultraviolet irradiation. Significantly lower levels of photoreactivation were observed in the freezing treated cells. The effect of freezing on the ability of the test microbes to photoreactivate seems to be strain and species dependent. Overall, the experimental results suggest that less photoreactivation could be expected if freezing is used as a treatment method prior to ultraviolet disinfection.     

紫外光(UV)光解油田采出水中多环芳烃

为了探讨紫外光光解人工模拟油田采出水中多环芳烃的降解效率,利用自制反应装置对油田采出水中多环芳烃(PAHs)的紫外光光解做了一个初步研究。研究结果证明,紫外光光解对油田采出水中的多环芳烃萘和芴有显著的降解能力。实验室的测试表明,与紫外UVA(365 nm)、UVB(308 nm)的光照相比,紫外UVC(254 nm)在光照60 min的条件下,2种多环芳烃各自的去除率都近似达到了99%。可见,在光解效力和暴露时间两方面,紫外UVC对采出水中萘和芴的去除具有相对稳定和比较高的效率。     

臭氧-氯联合灭活饮用水中枯草芽孢杆菌芽孢的研究

以枯草芽孢杆菌芽孢为模型微生物,研究了实际水体中单独氯消毒、单独臭氧消毒和臭氧-自由氯联合作用的灭菌效果.结果表明,枯草芽孢杆菌芽孢对单独氯消毒的抗性很大,6 mg/L氯作用240 min后灭活率仅为0.84个对数级;臭氧对枯草芽孢杆菌芽孢有较好的灭活效果,臭氧作用5 min,对其有4.68个对数级的灭活率.与单独氯消...     

Photocatalytic inactivation of Escherichia coli by natural sphalerite suspension: effect of spectrum, wavelength and intensity of visible light

The photocatalytic disinfection of Escherichia coli K-12 is investigated by the natural sphalerite (NS) under different spectra, wavelengths and intensities of visible light (VL) emitted by light-emitting-diode lamp (LED). The spectrum effect of VL on disinfection efficiency is studied by using white LED, fluorescent tube (FT) and xenon lamp (XE), which indicates that the “discreted peak spectrum” of FT is more effective to inactivate bacteria than “continuous spectrum” of LED and XE. Besides, the photocatalytic disinfection of bacteria is compared under different single spectrum (blue, green, yellow and red color) LEDs. The results show that the most effective wavelength ranges of VL for photocatalytic disinfection with the NS are 440-490 and 570-620 nm. Furthermore, a positive relationship is obtained between the disinfection efficiency and the VL intensity. The experiment shows that NS can completely inactivate 10⁷ cfu mL⁻¹E. coli K-12 within 8 h irradiation by white LED with the intensity of 200 mW cm⁻² at pH 8. Moreover, the destruction process of the cell wall and the cell membrane are directly observed by TEM. Finally, no bacterial colony can be detected within a 96 h regrowth test of inactivated bacteria, which reveals that the VL-photocatalytic disinfection leads to an irreversible damage to the bacterial cells.     

Bactericidal effect of TiO2 photocatalyst on selected food-borne pathogenic bacteria

Titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) photocatalysts have attracted great attention as a material for photocatalytic sterilization in the food and environmental industry. This research aimed to design a new photobioreactor and its application to sterilize selected food borne pathogenic bacteria, Salmonella choleraesuis subsp., Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Listeria monocytogenes. The photocatalytic reaction was carried out with various TiO(2) concentrations and Ultraviolet (UV) illumination time. A feasible synergistic effect was found that the bactericidal effect of TiO(2) on all bacterial suspension after UV light irradiation was much higher than that of without TiO(2). As the concentration of TiO(2) increased to 1.0 mg/ml, bactericidal effect increased. However, the bactericidal effect was rapidly abbreviated at TiO(2) concentration higher than 1.25 mg/ml to all selected bacteria. UV illumination time affected drastically the viability of all bacteria with different death rate. Similar trends were obtained from S. choleraesuis subsp. and V. parahaemolyticus that their complete killing was achieved after 3 h of illumination. However, L. monocytogenes was more resistant and its death ratio was about 87% at that time.     

Hydrodynamic treatment of wastewater effluent flocs for improved disinfection

Hydrodynamic forces generated by an orifice plate under low pressure were examined as a means of disrupting flocs, in order to improve disinfection of treated wastewater effluents. Changes in cavitation conditions were found to have little impact on the extent of particle breakage in this experimental setup. The rate of strain (flow rate divided by the hole radius cubed), however, was found to be the best predictor of floc breakage. Floc breakage was not affected by changes in floc concentration, but was very sensitive to differences between flocs collected from different sources. Larger flocs (90 to 106 microm) were broken apart to a greater extent than smaller ones (53 to 63 microm). Hydrodynamic treatment decreased the viability of bacteria associated with large flocs, and also increased the ultraviolet dose response by up to one log unit (i.e., a factor of ten). Subjecting final effluent wastewaters to hydrodynamic treatment, therefore, provides a treatment strategy for conditions in which the presence of flocs limits the level of disinfection that can be achieved.     

紫外线杀菌效能的研究

自来水的消毒目前普遍采用氯及含氯化合物药剂，消毒过程中产生三卤甲烷等致癌或致突变物质，从而造成水体的二次污染，许多国家已经禁止在消毒中使用含氯药剂。因此，具有安全可靠高效杀菌作用的紫外线消毒技术逐渐发展起来，并越来越受到人们的关注。但是紫外线的使用也有一定的限制，通过紫外线照射时间及进水浊度的变化，研究了具有一定照射强度的紫外灯的杀菌效能变化，并得出了紫外线具有最佳杀菌效果的进水极限浊度和照射时间。同时还研究了紫外线对具有不同抗性的细菌的系灭效率，为饮用水和污水的消毒处理提供了实验基础。     

Sanitation of seawater effluent from seaweed processing plants using a photo-catalytic TiO2 oxidation

A fine porcelain open-cell photo-catalytic filter with titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) was evaluated for sterilization and sanitation of bio-polluted industrial water. In simulated seawater industrial effluent samples, the populations of Escherichia coli and Vibrio parahaemolyticus quickly decreased and reached non-detectable level within 10min. In seawater effluents from a seaweed processing plant, the bacterial populations in two samples quickly decreased by more than 10(3). In another two samples the decreases were slow and lowered by less than 10(2). Using fluorescence microscopy, it was indicated that the bacterial cells treated with photo-catalytic TiO(2) were damaged. In addition, the protein concentration in simulated seawater effluent slowly decreased using the photo-catalytic TiO(2) reaction; and reached similar concentrations as seawater near cultured seaweed beds. These results indicate that using a reactor with a TiO(2) photo-catalyst filter was effective for the sanitation of seawater effluents.     

镍网负载纳米TiO2光催化反应器对酸性品红脱色效果实验研究

采用负载纳米TiO2的三维镍网装配了光催化反应器,就其对酸性品红溶液进行脱色效果进行了实验研究。考察了反应器的3种装配条件、品红初始浓度、pH值、H2O2投加量、紫外光剂量等因素对酸性品红脱色效果的影响。结果表明：UV灯＋镍网＋TiO2模式组合的反应器脱色效果最好;在相同的处理时间内酸性品红溶液的脱色率随起始浓度的增大而减小;将酸性品红溶液pH值调至5时脱色效果最明显,70 min的脱色率可高达94.8%。脱色效果还可以通过溶液中添加H2O2和控制紫外线剂量来调节。当溶液中H2O2投加量为0.5 g/L时,处理70 min后的脱色率可高达98.3%;到达反应界面紫外光剂量越多则能够获得越高的酸性品红脱色率。     

Reactions of the amine-containing drugs fluoxetine and metoprolol during chlorination and dechlorination processes used in wastewater treatment

The reactivities of the amine-containing pharmaceuticals fluoxetine and metoprolol with hypochlorite were studied using conditions that simulate wastewater disinfection including neutral pH (7.0), a range of reaction times (2–60 min), and a molar excess of hypochlorite relative to the pharmaceutical concentration (5.7 times). The reactions were monitored using liquid chromatography (LC) with several detection modes including ultraviolet absorbance (UV), mass spectrometry (MS), and post-column reaction/reductive electrochemistry (EC) for determining active chlorine products. At levels of 10 μM, both compounds reacted rapidly (<2 min) to form principally N-chloramine products that were stable in aqueous solution for at least 1 h. The reaction was also studied in wastewater, and similar reactivity was noted. These results demonstrate that the cations fluoxetine and metoprolol are likely to be rapidly transformed into neutral N-chloramines during wastewater disinfection. The reactivity of the N-chloramines was also studied with sulfite to simulate dechlorination, which is often employed in wastewater treatment. Both N-chloramines reacted slowly with sulfite. In the pure water dechlorination experiments, it was estimated that 70% and 10% of the peak areas remained after 2 min reaction time for fluoxetine and metoprolol, respectively. At longer reaction times both N-chloramines had been completely reduced by sulfite, and the product of the sulfite reduction reaction was the parent pharmaceutical amine. Since typical dechlorination times in wastewater treatment are on the order of seconds, this suggests the chloramines formed from these two basic drugs might evade dechlorination and be released into the environment. The implications of chloramine release are discussed.     

Effects of wastewater disinfection on waterborne bacteria and viruses.

Wastewater disinfection is practiced with the goal of reducing risks of human exposure to pathogenic microorganisms. In most circumstances, the efficacy of a wastewater disinfection process is regulated and monitored based on measurements of the responses of indicator bacteria. However, inactivation of indicator bacteria does not guarantee an acceptable degree of inactivation among other waterborne microorganisms (e.g., microbial pathogens). Undisinfected effluent samples from several municipal wastewater treatment facilities were collected for analysis. Facilities were selected to provide a broad spectrum of effluent quality, particularly as related to nitrogenous compounds. Samples were subjected to bench-scale chlorination and dechlorination and UV irradiation under conditions that allowed compliance with relevant discharge regulations and such that disinfectant exposures could be accurately quantified. Disinfected samples were subjected to a battery of assays to assess the immediate and long-term effects of wastewater disinfection on waterborne bacteria and viruses. In general, (viable) bacterial populations showed an immediate decline as a result of disinfectant exposure; however, incubation of disinfected samples under conditions that were designed to mimic the conditions in a receiving stream resulted in substantial recovery of the total bacterial community. The bacterial groups that are commonly used as indicators do not provide an accurate representation of the response of the bacterial community to disinfectant exposure and subsequent recovery in the environment. UV irradiation and chlorination/dechlorination both accomplished measurable inactivation of indigenous phage; however, the extent of inactivation was fairly modest under the conditions of disinfection used in this study. UV irradiation was consistently more effective as a virucide than chlorination/dechlorination under the conditions of application, based on measurements of virus (phage) diversity and concentration. Taken together, and when considered in conjunction with previously published research, the results of these experiments illustrate several important limitations of common disinfection processes as applied in the treatment of municipal wastewaters. In general, it is not clear that conventional disinfection processes, as commonly implemented, are effective for control of the risks of disease transmission, particularly those associated with viral pathogens. Microbial quality in receiving streams may not be substantially improved by the application of these disinfection processes; under some circumstances, an argument can be made that disinfection may actually yield a decrease in effluent and receiving water quality. Decisions regarding the need for effluent disinfection must account for site-specific characteristics, but it is not clear that disinfection of municipal wastewater effluents is necessary or beneficial for all facilities. When direct human contact or ingestion of municipal wastewater effluents is likely, disinfection may be necessary. Under these circumstances, UV irradiation appears to be superior to chlorination in terms of microbial quality and chemistry and toxicology. This advantage is particularly evident in effluents that contain appreciable quantities of ammonia-nitrogen or organic nitrogen.     

TiO2光催化处理络合铜废水的实验研究

研究了以悬浮态TiO2为催化剂,在紫外光的作用下对络合铜废水进行光催化反应,分别考察了常温下TiO2投加量、反应时间、废水初始pH值、反应气氛等因素对处理效果的影响,并探讨了反应机理。结果表明:TiO2投加量为2 g/L,废水pH=4,300 W高压汞灯照射下,载入60 mL/min的空气反应40 min,120 mg/L EDTA络合铜废水的Cu(II)与COD的去除率达到最高,分别为96.56%和57.67%。