Autonomous Complex for Water Disinfection in Rural Areas of Uzbekistan

Abstract

The Republic of Uzbekistan currently has an urgent need to provide drinking water to the population of remote rural areas. The water sources in these areas are usually heavily polluted by pathogenic bacteria and the water must be sterilized before use. Due to the remote nature of settlements in these areas, it is impossible to perform this task using traditional methods suitable for urban areas, due to economic challenges. The problem is the lack of a developed infrastructure (electricity, communications) because of the economic situation and the remote location of these villages. In view of this, the scale of infectious diseases of people caused by poor-quality water in rural areas of the republic is quite high. In this regard, the development of compact and efficient water purification devices, which should be affordable for the rural population, is of particular relevance. Unlike most disinfectants, ultraviolet (UV) radiation does not inactivate microorganisms by chemical interaction. UV irradiation inactivates organisms by absorbing light, which causes a photochemical reaction that changes the molecular basis of the components to the function of the cell. As UV rays penetrate the cell wall of a microorganism, energy reacts with nucleic acids and its other vital components, leading to the injury or death of exposed cells. Ultraviolet lamps work in almost the same way as fluorescent lamps. The difference between the two lamps is that the fluorescent bulb of the lamp is coated with a phosphorous compound that converts ultraviolet radiation into visible light. The UV lamp is not covered, so it transmits the ultraviolet radiation produced by the arc. This study confirms the efficiency of the developed scheme of an autonomous device for disinfecting water when it is exposed by the radiation of an ultraviolet lamp with electricity supply from photovoltaic systems.