Re: Water Irradiation?

[Brian Rees <brees@LANL.GOV>]

UV H2O systems are enclosed in a quartz tube that the H2O flows

around.  UV suffers from the same limitations as rad -i.e. if

something gets into your pipe downstream of treatment it's free to stay

alive, this is how many system contaminations occur - flow past a hole in

a pipe can create a venturi and draw contaminates into the system. 

Contaminated H2O is one of the biggest public health hazards in the

world.  It's unfortunate that some people have time to complain

about potential effects of something that may have made their life

possible in the first place.  


(Obviously) my own opinion


Brian Rees


At 07:34 AM 7/5/2002 -0600, Kai Kaletsch wrote:

Both gamma and UV irradiators have to be on 100% of the time because, unlike chlorine, they do not kill downstream of your unit and any bugs that get by are home free. If UV irradiators need power to run, then they also need backup power and an operator 24/7 who knows how to run the system.
 
How do you deliver the UV? It doesn't go through a steel pipe. If the water needs to be open to the atmosphere, that brings some more challenges.
 
There are some advantages to passive systems.
 
Kai
 

----- Original Message -----

From: Franta, Jaroslav

To: Kai Kaletsch ; RadSafe

Sent: Friday, July 05, 2002 7:22 AM

Subject: RE: Water Irradiation?

That's an interesting idea, but I'm pretty sure its impractical from the economic point of view, since such an irradiator would have to compete with a variety of commercial UV sterilizers of all sizes already on the market.

The one advantage a gamma sterilizer would have over a UV one is that the water would not need to be clean for the former to be effective -- UV sterilizers typically have reduced effectiveness in turbid water, as the bugs are shielded by bits of dirt.

Jaro

----- Original Message -----

From: Kai Kaletsch

To: RadSafe

Sent: Thursday, July 04, 2002 9:07 PM

Subject: Water Irradiation?

Not sure how aware the rest of the world is about this, but here in Canada there have been some issues with people getting sick or dying from bugs in the drinking water over the last couple of years. Water treatment has been a municipal issue but now the feds and provinces are getting more involved.

Some communities absolutely refuse to chlorinate their water. I was wondering if anyone knew what kind of dose it would take to kill the bugs in the water. Could that be achieved by putting some Cs-137 or Co-60 next to a water pipe? Would it cause the pipe to fall apart? Any side effects to the water?

I would just love to see someone propose that to one of these communities:)

 

Kai

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