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Ozone-UV net-zero water wash station for remote emergency response healthcare Units: Design, operation, and results
Citation:
Gassie, L., J. Englehardt, N. Brinkman, J. Garland, AND M. Kusumitha Perera. Ozone-UV net-zero water wash station for remote emergency response healthcare Units: Design, operation, and results. Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology. Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, Uk, 6(11):1971-1984, (2019). https://doi.org/10.1039/C9EW00126C
Impact/Purpose:
The manuscript describes research to build a net-zero system that produces potable water for deployment to water-stressed areas. ORD/NERL assisted in evaluating the built-in treatment system to inactivate waterborne microbes.
Description:
Because disease pandemics can accelerate rapidly in areas with limited clean-water access, a portable greywater reuse system may be useful to provide wash water at emergency health care units. In this study, a novel fed-batch (hybrid continuous-batch flow) net-zero water (NZW), or nearly closed-loop, reuse system comprising screening, microfiltration, and ozone-UV advanced oxidation was designed, constructed, and tested for performance with simulated and actual human showers. Water quality was tested for compliance with US drinking water standards, total organic carbon <0.5 mg/L, and pathogen inactivation including 12 log virus, 10 log protozoa, and 9 log bacteria as has been recommended for direct potable reuse. Energy, operation, and maintenance requirements were also evaluated, along with the system’s capacity to handle shock events such as urine. Design goals were achieved without the addition of GAC point-of-use filter, except compliance with bromate and nitrate drinking water standards, which were met only for temporary use (three-year total). A capacity of 32 showers/day at 1920 W continuous power is projected, without generation of potentially-infectious concentrate. To avoid a significant increase in system weight and energy demand, integrated urine diversion and collection, and system drain-and-fill following detection of urine in recycled water by electrical conductivity, are suggested. Field testing is recommended. Further research should focus on potential need for bromate/nitrate mitigation, and longer-term study of microbiological inactivation.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Ozone-UV net-zero water wash station for remote emergency response healthcare Units: Design, operation, and results
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