High-energy oxidation process: an efficient alternative for wastewater organic contaminants removal

Abstract

Radiation processing using electron beam (EB) has shown promising results in the treatment of organic water pollution. EB radiation is an additive-free process using short-lived reactive species, formed by the radiolysis of water, to carry out decomposition of organic pollutants. Studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of irradiation, alone or in combination with other processes, for the decomposition of refractory organic compounds in aqueous solutions, and in the removal or inactivation of microorganisms and parasites. Irradiation processes have been known for decades; however, their general application in the water field was impaired by the cumbersome and complexity of past existing technology. The technological picture is changing significantly in the last few years, with instrumentation that is significantly cheaper, easier and safer to use. Application of EB processing in the water sector promises a cost-efficient, by-products-less, and ultimately effective technology taking advantage of characteristics not available in others: total absence of chemical additives; capability of generating simultaneously both strong oxidants and reducers (hydroxyl radicals, hydrogen atoms, solvated electrons and others); capability of processing aqueous, colloidal, and opaque solutions; compatibility with existing technologies. This paper examines some of the few existing applications of this technology, which is still unknown, or poorly familiar, to most water professionals and researchers.