Ultrasonic disinfection of wastewater effluents for high-quality reuse

Cavitation, induced by ultrasound at low frequencies, is an effective means for the disintegration of bacterial cells. Two effects can be observed: at low ultrasound doses bacteria flocs can be declumped by mechanical shear stresses, and at increased doses ultrasound cavitation has an impact on the cell walls such that they are broken. In lab scale experiments a horn sonotrode operated at 20 kHz was run in combination with a low-pressure mercury arc lamp to treat wastewater samples taken from the effluent of a municipal treatment plant. At low ultrasound intensities a drastic change in samples' particle size distribution was observed. Consequently, subsequent UV irradiation was far more efficient as the number of large particles which impede disinfection processes was minimised by the sonication. Hence, applied UV doses could be reduced notably to obtain the same or even better disinfection effects.