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The disinfection of sewage treatment plant effluents using ultraviolet light
Author(s) -
Oliver Barry G.,
Cosgrove Ernest G.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
the canadian journal of chemical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1939-019X
pISSN - 0008-4034
DOI - 10.1002/cjce.5450530203
Subject(s) - effluent , sewage , fecal coliform , ultraviolet light , chlorine , sterilization (economics) , sewage treatment , pulp and paper industry , environmental chemistry , environmental science , chemistry , waste management , water quality , environmental engineering , biology , ecology , photochemistry , organic chemistry , monetary economics , economics , foreign exchange market , engineering , foreign exchange
The discharge of chlorinated wastewaters may result in acute toxicity to the aquatic ecosystem. This toxicity is due to chlorine residuals and to chlorinated organics formed during chlorination. An alternative method to chlorination for effluent disinfection is ultraviolet light irradiation. Kills of more than 99% have been obtained for coliform, fecal coliform, fecal streptococci and heterotrophic bacteria by irradiating secondary effluents from conventional activated sludge sewage treatment plants with ultraviolet light (254nm). Laboratory scale treatment studies of ultraviolet sterilization as a method of reducing the toxicity of municipal effluents and producing effluents of acceptable bacterial quality is reported.