CEE Seminar - Protecting public health at the speed of (UV) light

UV-C irradiation (200-280 nm) is known to be effective for pathogen disinfection in air and water treatment and the conventional low-pressure mercury vapor lamp emitting at 254 nm has been employed for over 100 years. Since the coronavirus pandemic, interest in the use of Far-UVC (200-235 nm) has grown as this wavelength range is not very harmful to human skin and eyes. Specifically, research into krypton chloride excimer (KrCl*) sources emitting at 222 nm has unveiled some intriguing mechanisms for accelerating UV-based treatment in water and wastewater. This talk will illuminate the important role of UV wavelength in treatment of water, the fundamental mechanisms linking wavelength to increased efficacy for pathogen inactivation, and the exciting role that low-wavelength UV can play in enhancing photolysis and oxidation of contaminants of concern in water/wastewater treatment and water reuse.