Ultraviolet Radiation In Water Treatment

Ultraviolet light uv light can be used as a pathogen reduction method against some microorganisms.

Ultraviolet radiation in water treatment.

In uv water treatment units it is necessary to provide permanent monitoring of the transparency of treated water using factor t10 t10 is the percent of uv radiation flux power remaining after passing through a layer of 10 mm in thickness. Its use can be traced back to 1910 when a solar uv disinfection system was installed in a municipal water facility in marseilles france. As soon as water leaves the uv light disinfection system recontamination from back flow breaks and biofilms slime can occur as there is no residual disinfectant in the water. The uv lamp never contacts the water.

It is either housed in a quartz glass sleeve inside the water. Uv rays penetrate harmful pathogens in your home s water and destroy illness causing microorganisms by attacking their genetic core dna. Uv a uv b and uv c and it is this last region the shortwave uv c that has germicidal properties for disinfection. Ultraviolet water treatment units should be installed after any water pre treatment process just before the cold and hot branch lines.

Well designed water treatment systems always locate uv light disinfection systems as close to the point of use as possible. The uv lamps for water treatment consist of specialized low pressure mercury vapor lamps that produce ultraviolet radiation at 254 nm or medium pressure uv lamps that produce a polychromatic output from 200 nm to visible and infrared energy. The uv unit can either be a point of entry system treating all the water entering the house or a point of use device treating water from a single tap as a final disinfection method. It s long been known that ultraviolet uv radiation has germicidal properties.

Principles of uv disinfection home water treatment uv radiation has three wavelength zones. Disinfecting your water with uv is exceptionably simple effective and environmentally safe. Ultraviolet systems destroy 99 99 of harmful microorganisms without adding chemicals or changing your water s taste or odor. Essentially ultraviolet light is produced by means of a germicidal or mercury vapor lamp made with glass that allows the optimal shortwave ultraviolet light a fully transparent surface through which to pass.

The shortwave radiation then comes into contact with the parasite bacteria fungi or other microorganism and eliminates it. The technology requires effective prefiltering due to its dependence on low water turbidity cloudiness the correct power delivery and correct contact times to achieve maximum pathogen reduction. Uv is often the last device in the treatment train a series of treatment devices following reverse osmosis water softening or filtration. If in doubt about the size of an uv unit that is needed always use a larger unit rather than a smaller unit.