Broadband Characterization Method for Photochemical Systems Used in Hospital Wastewater Treatment

• Published in: Journal of water chemistry and technology Vol. 41; no. 4; pp. 228 - 235
• Main Authors: Mejia-Morales, C., Cortés-Hernández, D. M., Hernández-Aldana, F., Peña-Moreno, R. D., Bonilla y Fernández, N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Absorption spectra; Aquatic Pollution; Broadband; Chemical pollution; Contaminants; Decontamination; Earth and Environmental Science; Efficiency; Environment; Hospital wastes; Hydrogen peroxide; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Medical wastes; Organic chemistry; Photochemicals; Photochemistry; Physical Chemistry of Water Treatment Processes; Radiation effects; Ultraviolet radiation; Waste Water Technology; Wastewater pollution; Wastewater treatment; Water Industry/Water Technologies; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Water purification; Water Quality/Water Pollution; Water treatment; wastewater; photochemical systems; broadband characterization; UV-Vis spectrum
• ISSN: 1063-455X; 1934-936X
• DOI: 10.3103/S1063455X19040040

Photochemical systems are an alternative to reduce the biological and chemical contaminants persistent in hospital wastewater treatment. Although the photochemical systems are currently used in wastewater treatments, the efficiency of these systems still needs to be studied. In this work, a broadband method to evaluate the efficiency of photochemical systems: UV/H 2 O 2 , UV/O 3 , and UV/H 2 O 2 /O 3 , for hospital wastewater treatments is presented. The method is based on the analysis of the broadband changes in the UV-Vis absorption spectra with the real-time radiation exposure. The results presented indicate that the UV/H 2 O 2 /O 3 system has a higher percentage of decontaminated water and decontamination speed than the UV/H 2 O 2 and UV/O 3 systems. In this regard, the proposed method provides a good alternative to evaluate the efficiency of photochemical systems used in hospital wastewater treatments.