Performance of a pool-type photoreactor operating in continuous mode under solar irradiation for the treatment of pollutants contained in wastewater

Abstract

At present, there is no effective and sustainable treatment to remove organic micropollutants from wastewater. Solar photo-oxidation offers the possibility of a self-sustaining, energetically and ecologically compatible process based solely on the use of solar energy for treatment operations. The main scientific challenge is to operate a photoreactor in continuous mode using the solar resource, which is by nature discontinuous. To date, daily or monthly capacities have not been established. This study focuses on a photoreactor operating in continuous mode under natural solar irradiation conditions for the treatment of substances contained in wastewater. Two reactors of the flat panel and tubular type, as well as a new configuration of the pool type, were studied in order to identify the advantages and disadvantages of each reactor. The main focus of the study is on a continuously operating solar photoreactor for the treatment of wastewater containing a very wide range of substances. Using a global approach, the substances were classified according to their capacity to be degraded in order to highlight the conditions necessary to conduct a photo-oxidation treatment operation. The daily capacities and the efficiency of photo-oxidation carried out continuously under dynamic irradiation conditions were established.