Fresh water is limited resource in the process of sea transportation. Since the space within any ship is compact, special attention needs to be paid to the sanitation of fresh water that is being and to be used. And it was not easy to do so. In our previous blog article UV Ballast Water Treatment, we talked about the importance of sterilizing ballast water used by container ships. UV water treatment can provide an effective sterilization of the used water which contains potentially harmful microorganisms. Ultraviolet water treatment can provide safety for the use of fresh water on ships.
On ships sailing all over the world, fresh water is often used for the daily consumption by the boilers, the operation of machinery and the daily life of the crew. The daily consumption of fresh water on a ship can be high. According to relative statistics, each crew member may consume about 70-80 liters of fresh water per day. For passenger ships, the consumption of fresh water per each passenger can be as much as over 200 liters per day. So the reuse of water makes a lot of sense in the context of ship environment.
The water used for sterilization in the ship’s fresh water generator can only reaches 70-80 degrees. As a result, microorganisms existed in the water cannot be effectively killed. Since ships are compact environments, harmful microorganisms in fresh water can easily spread without effective control. With the passing of time, everyone on board could be exposed to dangerous microorganisms. This is the most common cause of waterborne disease outbreaks on ships.
How Ultraviolet Light Works
Ultraviolet has three wavelengths, which are UVA, UVB and UVC. UVC is the only one of the three wavelengths that has bactericidal effects because UVC can promote the absorption of high energy by DNA or RNA of microbial cells. As a result of this absorption, the nucleic acids contained in DNA or RNA will be destroyed. This will further lead to the collapse of its basic structure, which in turn leads to its inactivity. In this way, UVC is implemented to prevent further reproduction and infection. UV can kill a variety of disease-causing pollutants, preventing them from causing diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, beaver fever, gastroenteritis, hepatitis, etc.
Advantages of UV Water Treatment
In the last decade or two, UV water treatment has become increasingly popular as a new way to replace traditional chemical water treatment methods. Ultraviolet light can provide high quality sterilization of the contaminated water. As an efficient water treatment method, UV solution has its advantages in the following aspects:
Broad-spectrum: UV has a comprehensive and broad-spectrum bactericidal effect, which can kill almost all bacteria, viruses and microorganisms, including chlorine-resistant microorganisms such as cryptosporidium, giardia and others.
Fast and Effective: In the process of UV water treatment, the sterilization action can be completed in an instant, with the sterilization rate as high as 99.99%.
Environment-friendly: As a purely physical water treatment method, no chemicals will be used in the process. Therefore, the treatment process will not produce any secondary contamination or change the smell or taste of the water. It will not cause any corrosion of the water pipe either.
Energy-efficient: Since the radiation of UVC is intensive, just a little power consumption will be sufficient for the operation of the machine. It will not cost much power.
Cost-efficient: The application of UV water treatment costs less than other water treatment methods. It also has a lower maintenance frequency. What should be done is to replace the UV lamp once a year.
What Affects UV Water Treatment?
When UV is selected for sterilization of certain contaminated water body, the final result can be affected by several factors in the following:
1. Size of the microorganisms
According to its physical property, UV is suitable for killing small microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, algae, protozoa, etc. For more complex organisms, such as multicellular organisms, a higher dose of UV will be required to achieve a satisfactory killing effect. Sometimes, filtration will be required before the process.
2. Power of the UV Lamps
The Efficiency of UV sterilization is in direct proportion to the power of the UV lamps. The more powerful the bulb is, the better its bactericidal effect will be.
3. UV Penetration Rate
To achieve a better bactericidal effect, it should be promised that the harmful microorganisms to be treated can receive a sufficient radiation of UV light. The penetration rate of UV light in water will be affected by turbidity of water as well as the cleanliness of the quartz tube outside the ultraviolet lamp.
4. Treatment time
In the UV water treatment process, water is sterilized as it flows through the inside of a chamber. The flow rate of the water will surely affect the final effect. In the case of a slow flow rate, a longer processing period can be obtained. In this way, the water can be fully treated by the radiation. The treated water tends to be with a higher quality.
You can also go to our previous blog Influencing Factors in UV Water Treatment to learn more about what affect UV water treatment.
What UV Water Treatment Can’t Do?
We have listed the advantages of UV water treatment in the above. But UV water treatment is not a panacea in every case. Firstly, UV radiation is ineffective against heavy metals and salt components that may be present in the water to be treated. Agricultural and industrial wastewater often contains multiple types of heavy metals such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), mercury (Hg), chromium (Cr), arsenic (As) and soluble inorganic salts such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, chlorine, etc.
At present, chemical precipitation is the main feasible method to deal with heavy metal composition. For the soluble inorganic salts, the common treatment methods will be evaporation, electrolysis and membrane separation. Therefore, for different kinds of wastewater, UV light needs to be combined with other treatment methods in order to provide a comprehensive and efficient solution.
Secondly, there should be a power supply when UV water treatment is used. Therefore, when in the absence of any power supply, UV water treatment cannot be considered. An alternative treatment method that does not rely on electricity will be realistic.
To get a full picture of UV water treatment, you can also read Precautions for the Use of UV Water Treatment that has been posted before.
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