Protecting public health at the speed of (UV) light: How novel UV sources are transforming disinfection and oxidation in water treatment and reuse

Speaker: Karl G. Linden, PhD
Distinguished Professor, Mortenson Professor in Sustainable Development
Chair, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder

UV-C irradiation (200-280 nm) is known to be effective for pathogen disinfection in air and water treatment and the conventional low-pressure mercury vapor lamp emitting at 254 nm has been employed for over 100 years. Since the coronavirus pandemic, interest in the use of Far-UVC (200-235 nm) has grown as this wavelength range is not very harmful to human skin and eyes. Specifically, research into krypton chloride excimer (KrCl*) sources emitting at 222 nm has unveiled some intriguing mechanisms for accelerating UV-based treatment in water and wastewater. This talk will trace through Professor Linden’s academic journey, illuminating the important role of UV wavelength in treatment of water, the fundamental mechanisms linking wavelength to increased efficacy for pathogen inactivation, and the exciting role that low-wavelength UV can play in enhancing photolysis and oxidation of contaminants of concern in water/wastewater treatment and water reuse.