EFFICIENCY OF ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT FOR TREATMENT OF RESIDUAL WATER WITH A HIGH PATHOGEN CONTENT
Norma A. Beltrán, Blanca E. Jiménez

Abstract

Infectious diseases (mainly water-borne) continue to be the major cause of death, especially among children in developing countries. Effective wastewater treatment is a priority, due to the high concentration of pathogens in such waters. In the present work, we study the use of ultraviolet light as an alternative to chlorine treatment. The results show that UV light is effective in inactivating fecal coliforms (as an indicator of water quality), fecal Streptococcus and Salmonella typhi. Fecal coliforms and Samonella were less resistant than fecal Streptococcus. Parameters such as TSS, % transmittance and distribution of particle size were analyzed in order to measure treatment effectiveness.

Key words

Wastewater treatment, UV light, pathogen, particle size.