Re-use of wastewater: preventing the recovery of pathogens by using medium-pressure UV lamp technology

Abstract

Ultraviolet (UV) light has become widely accepted as an alternative to chlorination or ozonation for wastewater disinfection. There are now over 2,000 wastewater treatment plants worldwide using either low- or medium-pressure UV technology. Recent studies investigating UV lamp technology, configuration, cleaning requirements and ageing, as well as long-term performance tests, have demonstrated beyond any doubt the effectiveness of UV in inactivating pathogens in wastewater. Research has also shown that, to ensure permanent inactivation and prevent the recovery of microorganisms following exposure to UV, a broad, "polychromatic" spectrum of UV wavelengths is necessary. These wavelengths inflict irreparable damage not only on cellular DNA, but on other molecules, such as enzymes, as well. Only medium-pressure UV lamps produce the necessary broad range of wavelengths; low-pressure lamps emit a single wavelength peak which only affects DNA. Polychromatic medium-pressure UV light is so effective because of the lamp's exceptionally high UV energy output at specific wavelengths across the UV spectrum. It has been shown, for example, that pathogenic E. coli O175:H7 was able to repair the damage caused by low-pressure UV, but no repair was detected following exposure to UV from medium-pressure lamps.