Microbiological Contamination. Treatment with Isolate and Combined Disinfection Agents: UVC, H2O2 and UVC/H2O2

MARISOL D. LABAS; CRISTINA S. ZALAZAR; RODOLFO J. BRANDI; ALBERTO E. CASSANO

CUTEC 2009

Año: 2009; p. 10 - 18

Microbiological water pollution treatments employing UVC radiation is an already established technology. The UVC radiation acts directly on the bacteria changing its DNA structure with very efficient deactivating consequences. A complete mechanistic kinetic model including a rigorous description of the existing radiation field in the system was published by Labas et al. (2006). Similarly the disinfecting and bactericidal properties of hydrogen peroxide (one of the so called Advanced Oxidation Technologies) have been known for many years. It is clear that several possible mechanisms lead to the formation of a very active oxidant, the hydroxyl radical ( ), that produces damage in the nucleic acids, enzymes and other components of bacteria, also resulting in permanent inactivity. Labas et al. (2008), have found that even if employing very large concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, its efficiency is by no means comparable with UVC radiation. It has been suggested that a cooperative action of UVC radiation and hydrogen peroxide could contribute to an even more powerful lethal effects. Employing a specially designed reactor, this work compares, with very illustrative and typical operating conditions, the disinfection efficiency of the three processes.