Characterization and implementation of a UV/O? pilot-scale prototype for disinfecting and recycling poultry chiller wastewater

by (Sean Steven), 1977- Ireland

Synergistic bactericidal performance consistently demonstrated by combined ozone and ultraviolet irradiation treatments on poultry chiller water with bench-scale reactors has led to the detailed engineering design and fabrication of a mobile, self-contained, 16 gpm (60 L/min) prototype for testing such technology on a flow-through basis. The individual system components of this advanced oxidation process (AOP) have been integrated by means of a programmable logic controller (PLC) using ladder logic and human-machine interface software. Initial prototype analysis considered solids removal efficiency of a formulated suspension of selected bone meal (?= 1.67 g/cm3, median diameter = 57 µm) demonstrating a 57% solids removal efficiency while onsite chiller water (median diameter = 49 µm) had a 29% solids reduction. Microbiological analysis indicates that bactericidal efficacy of the AOP is limited by the presence of such solids. System modifications for extended solids removal are necessary to prepare wastestreams for effective deactivation of suspended pathogens. With such preconditioning, this AOP method could readily be expanded to remediate many other processing wastewaters.