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Disinfection efficiency evaluation of a coupled system UV-H
2
O
2
solar with pilot
scale constructed wetlands for domestic wastewater treatment for reuse purposes
H. A. Casierra
2
, J. E. Casalins
2
, X. Vargas
2
, A. Caselles
1,2
1
Centro de Estudios del Agua, Universidad del Atlántico Research group: Environmental
Engineering Group.
2
Research group: Wetlands Caribbean Colombian. Universidad del Atlántico, Km 7 Old way Puerto
Colombia, Barranquilla, 08001, Colombia.
Introduction
Advanced Oxidation Technologies (AOT's) are innovative tools for the treatment of both
industrial and domestic wastewater. In recent years there have been several investigations
to assess the efficiency and scope of various techniques.
The possibility of combining biological systems with AOT's for wastewater treatment
makes imperative to assess the usefulness of the combination of treatment technologies,
adjusting designs and operational conditions.
Climate change in countries like Colombia has generated drought seasons of longer
duration, and sunlight can be harnessed to treat wastewater. This research project
approaches the disinfection of wastewater using Advanced Oxidation Technologies for
reusing purposes, and also seeks to evaluate the potential of the combination of a solar
photocatalytic process using hydrogen peroxide (H
2
O
2
), with a biological system as an
alternative for to reuse domestic wastewater.
To do this, a photoreactor consisting of polymethylacrylate pipes exposed to solar UV
radiation was built, which operates in batch mode to evaluate the Advanced Oxidation
Technologies, and Horizontal sub surface flow constructed wetlands (HSSF) planted with
local macrophyte
Cyperus ligularis
are used to assess the degree of disinfection achieved,
first with the two technologies separately and then as a coupled system. The experiment is
being carried out in Universidad del Atlántico (Barranquilla-Colombia) in a pilot system
operating under tropical conditions.
Key words
: Coupled system, wastewater, UV/ H
2
O
2
, wetlands, solar disinfection.
Methodology
Solar photoreactor Construction and Pilot plant set up of Horizontal Sub Surface Flow
(HSSF) Constructed Wetlands
Solar reactor consists in 5 Polymethylacrylate pipes exposed to solar radiation; they are
supported on an 11 degree inclined aluminum tray. Polymethylacrylate was chosen for its
excellent transmittance properties, and aluminum due to its high reflectivity. A 50L tank is
