Making waves: Opportunities and challenges of applying far-UVC radiation in controlling micropollutants in water

Concerns over human health risks associated with chemical contaminants (micropollutants) in drinking waters are rising due to the increased use of reclaimed water or water supplies impacted by upstream wastewater discharges. Ultraviolet (UV)-driven advanced oxidation processes (UV-AOPs) using radiation sources that emit at 254 nm have been developed as advanced treatments to degrade contaminants, while those UV-AOPs can be improved towards higher radical yields and lower byproduct formation. Several previous studies have suggested that Far-UVC radiation (200-230 nm) is a promising radiance source to drive UV-AOPs because the direct photolysis of micropollutants and production of reactive species from oxidant precursors can both be improved. In this study, we summarize from the literature the photodecay rate constants of five micropollutants by direct UV photolysis, which are higher at 222 than 254 nm. We experimentally determine the molar absorption coefficients at 222 and 254 nm of eight oxidants commonly used in water treatment and present the quantum yields of the oxidant photodecay. Our experimental results also show that the concentrations of HO·, Cl·, and ClO· generated in the UV/chlorine AOP can be increased by 5.15-, 15.76-, and 2.86-fold, respectively, by switching the UV wavelength from 254 to 222 nm. We also point out the challenges of applying Far-UVC for micropollutant abatement in water treatment, including the strong light screening effect of matrix components (e.g., carbonate, nitrate, bromide, and dissolved organic matter), the formation of byproducts via new reaction pathways, and the needs to improve the energy efficiency of the Far-UVC radiation sources.