Assessing point-of-use ultraviolet disinfection for safe water in urban developing communities

• Published in: Journal of water and health 2014-12, Vol.12 (4), p.663-669
• Main Authors: BARSTOW, Christina K, DOTSON, Aaron D, LINDEN, Karl G
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acceptability; Applied sciences; Bacteria; Bacteria - radiation effects; Communities; Construction materials; Developing Countries; Disinfection; Disinfection - methods; Drinking water; Drinking Water - microbiology; Drinking Water - parasitology; Drinking Water - virology; Drinking water and swimming-pool water. Desalination; Exact sciences and technology; Flow rates; Flow velocity; Hydrodynamics; Low flow; Low pressure; Microorganisms; Odor; Odour; Pathogenic bacteria; Plug flow; Plug flow chemical reactors; Pollution; Prototyping; Protozoa; Public health; Testing; Ultraviolet radiation; Ultraviolet Rays; Urban areas; Viruses; Viruses - radiation effects; Water purification; Water Purification - methods; Water treatment and pollution
• ISSN: 1477-8920; 1996-7829
• DOI: 10.2166/wh.2014.223

Residents of urban developing communities often have a tap in their home providing treated and sometimes filtered water but its microbial quality cannot be guaranteed. Point-of-use (POU) disinfection systems can provide safe drinking water to the millions who lack access to clean water in urban communities. While many POU systems exist, there are several concerns that can lead to low user acceptability, including low flow rate, taste and odor issues, high cost, recontamination, and ineffectiveness at treating common pathogens. An ultraviolet (UV) POU system was constructed utilizing developing community-appropriate materials and simple construction techniques based around an inexpensive low-wattage, low pressure UV bulb. The system was tested at the bench scale to characterize its hydrodynamic properties and microbial disinfection efficacy. Hydraulically the system most closely resembled a plug flow reactor with minor short-circuiting. The system was challenge tested and validated for a UV fluence of 50 mJ/cm(2) and greater, over varying flow rates and UV transmittances, corresponding to a greater than 4 log reduction of most pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and protozoa of public health concern. This study presents the designed system and testing results to demonstrate the potential architecture of a low-cost, open-source UV system for further prototyping and field-testing.