What are two common disinfection methods used in wastewater treatment?

Chlorination and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection are two widely utilized methods for disinfecting wastewater before it is released back into the environment or reused.

Chlorination involves the addition of chlorine or chlorine compounds to kill pathogens and bacteria effectively. It is a cost-effective method that has been used for many decades and allows for residual disinfection, meaning that some chlorine remains in the water to continue combating any potential recontamination during storage or transport.

Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection employs UV light to inactivate microorganisms by disrupting their DNA and preventing them from reproducing. This method is advantageous because it does not use chemicals, thus avoiding issues related to chemical residuals in treated water and minimizing the formation of harmful byproducts.

Both methods are recognized for their effectiveness in reducing the number of pathogens to safe levels, making them suitable for meeting regulatory requirements for effluent quality in wastewater treatment. Other methods listed, such as ozonation and filtration, have their own applications in specific contexts but are not as universally common as chlorination and UV disinfection in the primary treatment processes for wastewater. Similarly, technologies like reverse osmosis, sedimentation, carbon adsorption, and distillation serve different purposes in water treatment processes and are not typically categorized as disinfection