Food + Beverage
Understanding the power of UV technology
Hanovia’s UV technology has the power to transform your water treatment process. From the treatment of incoming raw water through to treatment in the polishing loop, Hanovia’s UV system can provide effect barriers to microorganisms of all kinds and provide vital steps in the removal of unwanted chemical species.
UV light: the twin effect
In the context of water treatment UV light has two major effects: a biological effect in which microorganisms are disabled, providing effective disinfection of water, and a chemical effect in which unwanted chemicals are broken down for easy removal in later processes.
Biological effect – the mechanism of UV disinfection
Strong sunlight disinfects water by permanently de-activating bacteria, spores, moulds and viruses. Over a century ago, scientists identified the part of the electromagnetic spectrum responsible for this well-known effect; wavelengths between 200nm and 300nm, often called UV-C.
The mechanism of de-activation is well documented and unlike chemical disinfectants the organism is unable to develop any immune mechanisms. The mechanism involves the absorption of UV energy by the DNA in the organism, which fuses the DNA and prevents replication.
Chemical effect – Photolytic TOC reduction
UV light of the right wavelength has the ability to break chemical bonds, and thereby help in the reduction of unwanted chemicals in water. This process is called Photolysis and has many industrial applications:
