Comparative analysis of a UVC-LED assisted photo-Fenton performance for microcontaminants and bacteria removal

PICHEL, NATALIA; BENZAQUÉN, TAMARA B.; SORIANO-MOLINA, PAULA; LÓPEZ CASAS, JOSÉ LUIS; SÁNCHEZ PÉREZ, JOSÉ ANTONIO

Milan

Conferencia; 3rd IWA Disinfection and Disinfection By-Products Conference; 2022

International Water Association (IWA)

This work compared the effect of advanced oxidation processes based on HO• and SO4•− generation under UVC-LED assisted photo-Fenton for simultaneous microcontaminants and bacteria removal at neutral pH. To this end, E. coli, C. perfringens and acetamiprid (ACTM) removal in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) secondary effluent was evaluated at different experimental conditions using H2O2 and S2O82- as oxidants and the complex Fe3+-NTA as iron source. UVC light was found to be the predominant effect on disinfection. S2O82- showed higher bacteria inactivation activity, while it was not able to remove more than 20% ACTM. As the presence of Fe3+-NTA increased, ACTM degradation improved but disinfection rates dropped. Thus, what benefited disinfection hindered decontamination and vice versa. As result of a compromise between both disinfection and decontamination, the oxidant H2O2 (1.47 mM) and Fe3+-NTA (0.05 mM) at 30 min hydraulic retention time (HRT) were selected as best operating conditions for continuous flow mode since EU 2020/741 disinfection objectives were met, along with a good microcontaminant removal.