Inactivation of Escherichia coli, Bacteriophage MS2, and Bacillus Spores under UV/H2O2 and UV/Peroxydisulfate Advanced Disinfection Conditions.

Ultraviolet light (UV) combined with peroxy chemicals, such as H2O2 and peroxydisulfate (PDS), have been considered potentially highly effective disinfection processes. This study investigated the inactivation of Escherichia coli, bacteriophage MS2, and Bacillus subtilis spores as surrogates for pathogens under UV/H2O2 and UV/PDS conditions, with the aim to provide further understanding of UV-based advanced disinfection processes (ADPs). Results showed that one additional log of inactivation of E. coli was achieved with 0.3 mM H2O2 or PDS at 5.2 × 10(-5) Einstein·L(-1) photo fluence (at 254 nm) compared with UV irradiation alone. Addition of H2O2 and PDS greatly enhanced the inactivation rate of MS2 by around 15 folds and 3 folds, respectively, whereas the inactivation of B. subtilis spores was slightly enhanced. Reactive species responsible for the inactivation were identified to be •OH, SO4(·-), and CO3(·-) based on manipulation of solution conditions. The CT value of each reactive species was calculated with respect to each microbial surrogate, which showed that the disinfection efficacy ranked as •OH > SO4(·-) > CO3(·-) ≫ O2(·-)/HO2(·). A comprehensive dynamic model was developed and successfully predicted the inactivation of the microbial surrogates in surface water and wastewater matrices. The concepts of UV-efficiency and EE/O were employed to provide a cost-effective evaluation for UV-based ADPs. Overall, the present study suggests that it will be beneficial to upgrade UV disinfection to UV/H2O2 ADP for the inactivation of viral pathogens.

Selenium Partitioning and Removal Across a Wet FGD Scrubber at a Coal-Fired Power Plant.

Selenium has unique fate and transport through a coal-fired power plant because of high vapor pressures of oxide (SeO2) in flue gas. This study was done at full-scale on a 900 MW coal-fired power plant with electrostatic precipitator (ESP) and wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) scrubber. The first objective was to quantify the partitioning of selenium between gas and condensed phases at the scrubber inlet and outlet. The second objective was to determine the effect of scrubber operation conditions (pH, mass transfer, SO2 removal) on Se removal in both particulate and vapor phases. During part of the testing, hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide) was injected upstream of the scrubber. Gas-phase selenium and particulate-bound selenium were measured as a function of particle size at the inlet and outlet of the scrubber. The total (both phases) removal of Se across the scrubber averaged 61%, and was enhanced when hydrated lime sorbent was injected. There was evidence of gas-to-particle conversion of selenium across the scrubber, based on the dependence of selenium concentration on particle diameter downstream of the scrubber and on thermodynamic calculations.