I-Corps: Chemical-Free Advanced Oxidation Water Treatment System

这个I-Corps项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是为水再利用市场开发一种无化学品的紫外线（UV）光驱动水处理系统。实施紫外线驱动的水消毒的成本往往是其在较小规模或更脆弱社区中使用的障碍。通过提高紫外线驱动的高级氧化工艺（AOPs）的可负担性，有可能在发展中社区实施这项技术，特别是用于对隐孢子虫和贾第虫等寄生虫进行消毒，这些寄生虫构成了重大的公共卫生威胁。通过替代氯基氧化剂，所提出的装置可以减少有害的消毒副产物，例如三卤甲烷（THMs）。研究表明，饮用水中的三卤甲烷可能会增加某些癌症的风险，并导致不良的生殖结果。更全面地实施UV-AOP也可能导致许多新出现的污染物的降解，包括1，4-二氧六环、抗生素、内分泌干扰物和（潜在的）SARS-CoV-2。这个I-Corps项目的基础是开发一种固定化光催化剂，该催化剂具有高有效表面积，低质量传输限制，深紫外线渗透以及长期的化学，机械和热稳定性。该技术已在概念验证反应器中实施，并表明该技术将在几秒钟内在紫外光照射下降解各种化学污染物。用于判断UV AOP的经济可行性的主要品质因数是每单位订单的电能（EE/O），即，将目标病原体或化学污染物的浓度降低一个数量级（90%）所需的电能量。虽然EE/O在很大程度上取决于水质，目标污染物和反应器设计，但EE/O值低于10 kWh/m3的紫外线消毒系统通常被认为是商业上可行的。建议的技术可以实现0.6千瓦时/立方米的模型污染物（罗丹明B）的EE/O数天，而性能没有下降。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a chemical-free, ultraviolet (UV) light-driven water treatment system for the water re-use market. The cost of implementing UV light-driven water disinfection is often a barrier to its utilization on smaller scales or in more vulnerable communities. By improving the affordability of UV light-driven advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), it may be possible to implement this technology in developing communities, especially for the disinfection of parasites like Cryptosporidium and Giardia, which pose a significant public health threat. By replacing chlorine-based oxidants, the proposed device may reduce harmful disinfection byproducts such as trihalomethanes (THMs). Research suggests that consuming THMs in drinking water may elevate the risk of certain cancers and result in adverse reproductive outcomes. More comprehensive implementation of UV-AOPs also may lead to the degradation of many emerging contaminants, including 1,4-dioxane, antibiotics, endocrine disruptors, and (potentially) SARS-CoV-2. This I-Corps project is based on the development of an immobilized photocatalyst with a high effective surface area, low mass transport limitations, deep UV penetration, and long-term chemical, mechanical, and thermal stability. The proposed technology has been implemented in a proof-of-concept reactor and shows that the technology will degrade various chemical contaminants under UV light illumination in a matter of seconds. The primary figure of merit for judging the economic viability of UV AOPs is the electrical energy per unit order (EE/O), i.e., the amount of electrical energy required to reduce the concentration of a target pathogen or chemical contaminant by one order of magnitude (90%). While EE/O is largely dependent on the water quality, target contaminant, and reactor design, UV light disinfection systems with EE/O values below 10 kWh/m3 are generally considered commercially viable. The proposed technology can achieve an EE/O for a model contaminant (Rhodamine B) of 0.6 kWh/m3 for several days without a drop in performance.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.