Photoreactivation Study of Wastewater Treatment Effluent Disinfected by UV-disinfection for Water Reuse

Photoreactivation of microorganism following UV-disinfection is one of the research topics of interest in assessing the UV-disinfection performance. Apparent photoreactivation was examined under fluorescent lamp and solar radiation as well as in darkness. Total coliform, fecal coliform, and Escherichia coli were used as indicator microorganisms, and their concentration was monitored with time after UV-disinfection. Under the darkness, their initial concentration of 10∼30 MPN/100 mL increased to the level of 100 MPN/100 mL after 24 hours, which implied that part of damaged microorganisms by UV-disinfection might be repairable with time. Under the fluorescent lamp, photoreactivation was more apparent that their concentration increased up to 1,000 MPN/100 mL which might significantly impair the water uses specially in reuse of reclaimed wastewater. However, their concentration further decreased down to below 2 MPN/100 mL under the solar radiation primarily due to additional disinfection by solar radiation rather than photoreactivation. Samples not disinfected by UV-disinfection also demonstrated substantial decrease of their concentration under solar radiation from about 5,000 MPN/100 mL to less than 30 MPN/100 mL in 24 hours. But direct reuse of effluent without disinfection is not recommended because natural decay by solar radiation may take time and be affected by climatic conditions. The result suggests that photoreactivation of pathogenic microorganisms may not be concerned in agricultural reuse of reclaimed wastewater because solar radiation may provide further disinfection after UV-disinfection.

용수재이용을 위한 하수처리 유출수의 UV 소독 후 광회복 조사