New technology uses carbon dioxide thermal bubbles to kill viruses and bacteria in wastewater
Release time：2024-10-08click：0
Many people think that obtaining clean water is easy, but the lack of clean water has become a serious problem in many parts of the world. Now, researchers at the University of New South Wales in Canberra, Australia, have tested a new method of sterilizing water using thermal bubbles of carbon dioxide, and they found it to be quite effective.
In the new method, carbon dioxide gas is first heated to a set temperature and then piped into the wastewater tank. As these hot bubbles rise through the water, they transfer heat to the water around them, and the hot surface layer of the bubbles is enough to kill bacteria and viruses in the liquid. Unlike previous attempts in similar systems, the carbon dioxide does not need to be pressurized to do its job.
In the experiments, the researchers heated the gas to various temperatures and then bubbled it through a sodium chloride solution containing E. coli and the MS2 virus. To test which configuration worked better, the team compared carbon dioxide with regular air, heating the gas to temperatures ranging from 7°C to 205°C (44.6°F to 401°F).
As expected, there is basically no antibacterial effect at low temperatures. Both air and carbon dioxide work better when the heat is elevated, but carbon dioxide kills bacteria and viruses more quickly.
Researchers found that carbon dioxide is effective at temperatures between 100°C and 205°C (212°F to 401°F). As you might expect, higher temperatures destroy viruses and bacteria more. Meanwhile, the liquid itself remains at a comfortable temperature of 55°C (131°F).
The team said the method offers several advantages over existing water purification technologies. This method is more energy efficient since heating the gas requires less energy than boiling the liquid. It's also potentially less harmful than chemical methods like adding chlorine, and simpler than using UV radiation. Finally, carbon dioxide is a common by-product of industry and is particularly easy to obtain.
"This new technology may become a new sterilization technology that can compete with existing technologies," said study author Adrian Garrido Sanchis. "The process can use heated carbon dioxide gas instead of hot water and can reuse waste gases from the combustion process, making the new process potentially more energy efficient."
Small-scale version of new wastewater disinfection technology A pilot plant has been built and researchers are testing the technology on pig farms, and promising results have been achieved so far.
The study was published in the journal Clean Water.
(Original title: New technology uses carbon dioxide thermal bubbles to kill viruses and bacteria in wastewater)
