The food and beverage market involves a variety of industries such as bottled water, food packaging, crop irrigation, carbonated and non-carbonated beverages, dairies, and meat and poultry processing plants. Ultraviolet (UV) technology has been successfully used for pathogenic microorganism control in these related industries.
A common application of UV light in water treatment is disinfection, but the technology can also be used to reduce TOC (total organic carbon), free chlorine/chloramines and eliminate ozone.
Agua Topone UV systems can also be used for disinfection of any product water that is an ingredient in food or beverages.Bottled water and product water for concentrates,soft drinks,teas and beers are typically sterilized using the Agua Topone 254nm UV system.
High temperature-pasteurization techniques are very effective in handling low ultraviolet transmission (UVT) and some levels of suspended solids (SS) and total dissolved solids (TDS) and are ideal for many product manufacturers,but pasteurization Bacterial technology is expensive,so as energy costs continue to rise, UV technology is greener and more efficient than pasteurization. UV treatment is a non-chemical process that does not alter the physical properties of the liquid and can avoid the problems associated with chemical treatment, eliminating the cost of removing chlorine from the water stream. Importantly, UV treatment does not promote the formation of disinfection by-products such as trihalomethanes (THM), which have been classified by regulatory agencies as carcinogens (at certain levels in drinking water).
Agua Topone UV systems can also be used in place of, or in conjunction with, activated carbon beds to reduce or eliminate chlorine and chloramines while providing 3 log or better biological reduction.UV light provides a cost-effective way to not only disinfect but also remove chlorine and chloramines during the pretreatment stage.
First Disinfection: This is a common application of UV light in water treatment. An appropriately sized UV system can achieve a minimum of 3 Log microbial removal at a minimum dose of 30,000 microwatt-seconds (or 30 mJ/cm2) over a 1-year lamp life (EOL).Some typical installation locations are: filling point, flushing point, brine solution, post carbon filter, Reverse Osmosis Uv Sterilizer , downstream water storage tank and upstream syrup storage tank.When installed in a suitable location in the process loop, such as downstream of an activated carbon adsorption bed and/or upstream of a membrane filter or RO, UV systems can kill at least 99.9% of bacteria in the influent stream,thereby significantly reducing microbial populations.
Second TOC Reduction:In ultrapure water systems,UV treatment is used to effectively reduce organic matter (commonly referred to as TOC).TOC reduction is achieved by integrating a properly designed,properly sized and properly placed 185nm UV water system.
Third Ozone Depletion:Ozone is commonly used in pretreatment areas of water systems,as well as in disinfection processes and recirculation systems.Before use,residual ozone needs to be eliminated to ensure that the product is not contaminated.Due to the non-chemical,fast action mechanism of UV technology,this technology is the method of choice for this application.
After adequate consideration of the appropriate variables,an appropriately sized UV unit can ensure that ozone is eliminated below detection limits,thereby ensuring process and product integrity.
Fourth Chlorine/Chloramine Elimination: While adding chlorine and chloramines to tap water can control bacterial levels, they can adversely affect membrane filtration or reverse osmosis membranes.Common methods of removing residual chlorine/chloramines,such as activated carbon adsorption beds or chemical injection, have proven problematic.Where sodium metabisulfite involves removing one chemical from another to create nutrients for microorganisms,activated carbon beds can be inefficient,susceptible to channeling effects and create a breeding ground for microbial growth.
