Energy-based process for fluid treatment and system thereof
AssigneeTrojan Technologies Inc.
InventorFariborz Taghipour
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for treating a fluid which comprises the step of exposing the fluid to ultraviolet radiation and high-energy ionizing radiation. It has been discovered that combining ultraviolet radiation with high-energy ionizing radiation in the treatment of a fluid results in synergistic performances of the treatment process—e.g., improvement in the inactivation or killing of microorganisms in the fluid, in destruction of organic contaminants and the like. More specifically, fluid treatment performance is improved to a level typically not possible when using ultraviolet radiation and high-energy ionizing radiation separately.
Claims32
A process for treating water comprising a plurality of microorganisms which comprises the steps of:
- (i) exposing the water to ultraviolet radiation having a first dose to cause photochemical damage to nucleic acids in a first portion of the plurality of the microorganisms;
- and
- (ii) exposing the water to high-energy ionizing radiation to cause the production of intermediates that are reactive with a second portion of the plurality of the microorganisms, wherein the second portion is not photochemically damaged by the ultraviolet radiation, and the first dose is less than a dose sufficient to cause photochemical damage in both the first and second portions of the plurality of the microorganisms.
A process for treating a fluid containing microorganisms, which process comprises the step of exposing the fluid to ultraviolet radiation having a first dose and high-energy ionizing radiation selected from one or both of high energy electrons and gamma radiation, wherein the first dose is less than a dose sufficient to cause photochemical damage to nucleic acids in all microorganisms in the fluid.
A process for treating water comprising free microorganisms and particle-associated microorganisms, the process comprising the steps of:
- (i) exposing the water to ultraviolet radiation having a first dose to cause photochemical damage to nucleic acids in the free microorganisms;
- and
- (ii) exposing the water to high-energy ionizing radiation to cause the production of intermediates that are reactive with the particle-associated microorganisms, wherein the particle-associated microorganisms is not photochemically damaged by the ultraviolet radiation, and the first dose is less than a dose sufficient to cause photochemical damage in both the free microorganisms and the particle-associated microorganisms.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.