The Influence of Nitrate, Water Chemistry, and Lamp Selection on UV Advanced Oxidation Performance
TrojanUV Solutions

What influences the performance of a UV AOP treatment system? There are three properties of a COC (contaminant of concern) that influence its treatability by UV AOP:

  1. UV absorption: How much UV light is taken-up by the COC
  2. Quantum yield: The chances of a COC reacting and breaking down once it absorbs UV light
  3. Radical rate constant: How fast a COC reacts with a specific free radical in the water

These properties vary considerably between different COC molecules, and their impact on the effectiveness of a UV AOP system is well documented in both academic and commercial literature. The focus of this document is not to review how the chemical properties of COCs themselves influence UV
AOP, but instead review other critical UV AOP influencers on operation and cost, including:

  1. UV lamp type: low-pressure or medium-pressure UV lamps
  2. Nitrate (NO3-) concentration
  3. Alkalinity and pH