What You need know about UV sterilization

The water filtration technologies mentioned above are the most effective and advanced filtration methods suitable for residential use. Which one, however, is the most effective?

Apart from the three water filtration methods, we also introduce high-tech hydrogel as an additional highly effective water purification technology. The different types of water purification systems are discussed in this article, including reverse osmosis, ultraviolet, ultrafiltration, and hydrogel.

Hydrogel Purification

Hydrogel is a relatively new method of water treatment. Our most recent blog, Revolutionizing the Water Purification Industry – the Roles of Sunlight and ‘Hydrogels,’ explains more about hydrogel. The system produces hydrogen peroxide, which, when combined with carbon particles, suffocates bacteria metabolism and eventually kills them. Gel-polymer hybrid materials were recently used to create a more cost-effective and small-footprint water purification method.

Photothermal and biofouling-resistant properties of hydrogel are exceptional. These characteristics can be used to create solar evaporators that purify water continuously. Hydrogel, from a hydrogel manufacturing company, produces water vapor when exposed to direct sunlight, which can be collected in a condenser and used to provide fresh water.

The hydrogel can also be used to desalinate water. On the salt-rich Dead Seawater, this quality was tested and proven. Finally, the US Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization have approved the hydrogel purification system for use in drinking water.

Advantages of Hydrogel

The hydrogel purification process is completely safe and free of harmful byproducts. When used as oral tablets, the hydrogel can disinfect water with a 99.99% efficacy in 60 minutes or less, without requiring a power supply.

Disadvantages of hydrogel

Hydrogel doesn’t need any energy and doesn’t produce any harmful byproducts. Furthermore, it is a low-cost method that has the potential to revolutionize the water purification industry in the near future. While hydrogel has many advantages, it also has some disadvantages, such as its speed.

One liter of river water takes about an hour to purify with hydrogel; therefore, purifying your water ahead of time is recommended. Hydrogel isn’t the best filtration method if you need to use pure water on a regular basis.

UV light sanitizer

It’s possible that the water you’re drinking contains germs that are dangerous to your health. Microorganisms can be removed using a variety of water treatment techniques. Ultraviolet light can be used to disinfect water and kill nearly all types of bacteria. In our previous blog, Improving Drinking Water Through Ultraviolet Disinfection, we discussed the features and functions of UV sterilization.

Working principle of ultraviolet sterilization

UV (ultraviolet) light is a type of sunlight that occurs naturally. UV light is unidentifiable because it occurs between visible light and X-rays. The cellular function of a microorganism can be damaged by UV radiation, which can prevent it from growing. UV light can also sterilize water and kill bacteria and viruses that cause diseases when they come into contact with it.

There are two types of UV sterilizers: mercury and LED. While both are effective against bacteria, they have different levels of safety.

The dangers of using traditional mercury UV sterilizers

Because UV mercury lamps have better optical power and a lower price, they are the primary source of most UVC disinfecting products. Mercury is usually found in liquid or amalgam form in conventional UV lights. Whether the lamp is turned on or off, liquid mercury lamps can be dangerous.

Despite the fact that mercury vaporizes when the lamp is turned on, the vapor can dissolve in the treated water. Accidents and improper lamp usage can pollute the environment and endanger people. UV light has a wavelength of 100nm to 1000nm, which means it consumes more energy.

Another disadvantage of the mercury UV sterilizer is the length of time it takes to achieve effective filtration. As a result, the mercury sterilizer takes longer to filter out potentially harmful materials.

The advantages of using an LED ultraviolet sterilizer

The LED ultraviolet sterilizer is a newer technology that is more environmentally friendly than the mercury lamp. LED light bulbs produce light in the UV disinfection system, which is up to 90% more efficient than traditional incandescent light bulbs. Because the sterilizer is mercury-free, there is no risk of dangerous mercury leaks.

In addition, the concentrated wavelength of the LED ultraviolet sterilizer is between 260nm and 280nm. The sterilizer has a 99.9% sterilization rate at this wavelength and can kill bacteria in two seconds of contact.

Ultrafiltration

Ultrafiltration is a membrane filtration method for preventing bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants from entering drinking water. When the ultrafiltration system is turned on, water is forced through a 0.01-micron membrane. Particles that are unable to pass through the membrane remain on the outside, while fresh water and dissolved minerals pass through. The following are the characteristics and principles of ultrafiltration as described in this blog: How Does An Ultrafiltration Membrane Work? Now, researchers looking into water filtration technologies such as UV sterilization.

Advantages of ultrafiltration

Ultrafiltration can effectively remove bacteria and viruses in the same way that UV and hydrogel filtration can. Furthermore, the system operates without the use of electricity. The system instead filters water using natural pressure. You won’t have to worry about power outages or electricity bills with this zero-energy water purification system.

Disadvantages of ultrafiltration

Ultrafiltration is unable to distinguish between dissolved salts and low molecular weight species. As a result, it is unsuitable for water desalination.

Conclusion

Because UV sterilization and ultrafiltration are mature water filtration technologies, many water purifiers on the market use them. Despite the fact that hydrogel is a new technology, it still requires extensive testing to prove and verify its efficacy and application.

UV sterilizers remove 99.9% of contaminants, making them slightly better than ultrafiltration in terms of filtration performance. Ultrafiltration is also more expensive than UV sterilizers. Hydrogel’s true performance and cost have yet to be determined.

So ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis are always looking for further details. It is not advisable to rely solely on one method of water purification because each technology has its own set of benefits and drawbacks. As a result, using a multi-step purification method with multiple filtration techniques is recommended.