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Wastewater Treatment
Technology Tutorial
UV
Disinfection
Ultraviolet
(UV) disinfection uses the energy from a mercurial
arc lamp to pierce through the cell wall of a pathogen
and reach its DNA or RNA and render it unable to reproduce.
 The
success of UV treatment depends upon the nature
of the wastewater; more specifically how much particulate
matter is present in the water. The more obscured
the water is, the more difficult it becomes for the
radiation to penetrate deep into the water. Mixing
is used to ensure that all of the water gets an equal
amount exposure, ensuring that pathogen removal is
efficacious.
UV disinfection
has numerous advantages including user-friendly operation;
effectiveness at elimination of pathogens and cysts;
and minimal space requirements.
The two major weaknesses
of this technology include its ineffectiveness when
a high degree of suspended material is present and
also the recalcitrance of some organisms to UV disinfection
by way of "repair mechanisms."
Source: EPA,
Wastewater Technology Fact Sheet: Ultraviolet
Disinfection. 
September 1999. Image from mindfully.org
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