Nuke technology to treat sewage water

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, April 23, 2013: In a path- breaking study by a group of Vizag based researchers it was discovered that nuclear technology can be useD to treat domestic sewage water, which can be reused for irrigation and other purposes.

Researchers from the environmental science department of GITAM university here along with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) scientists were successful in treating domestic sewage water with electron beams using accelerators, in a first of its kind in the country.

At present electron beams are used to harden rubber bearings in automobile industry and researches are also on to use the beams to change colours of diamonds.

Until now, in the regular conventional method sewage water is stored for 8 to 12 hours by the civic bodies in the treatment plants before recycling and letting out into the sea or large water bodies after chlorinating. But this method carries microorganisms that pollute sea  apart from having objectionable odour.

Researchers carried out their experiment at the BARC Mumbai labs on the samples of Vashi Sewage Treatment Plant of Navi Mumbai.  Results showed a substantial improvement in waste water quality with an efficient decrease in organic load that lead to a better remediation process.

“Based on the results it can be concluded that pollution mitigation using ionizing radiation with Electron Beam Accelerators is an eco-friendly alternative technology, without using chemical disinfectants. Irradiated sewage water is fit for irrigation as well as use in industries which will be a promising solution to existing water demand and also a gateway to sustainable management of fragile fresh water resources for developing countries,” principal investigator of the project funded by Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), DR YS Maruthi of GITAM told this correspondent.

The new technology ensures safe disposal increasing water quality which will enhance aquatic life. It will also improve recharge potential controlling water borne diseases.

While, one litre sewage treatment costs Rs 2 using electron beams, one kilo sludge treatment costs Rs 32, which can be sold the same as fertilizer at Rs 35. But it costs just Rs 25 paise to treat sewage water in the regular method. “Though the treatment with the new technology costs little more than the regular method  the treated water can be put to optimum utilization for many purposes which is not possible in the regular method,” she added.

Dr Maruthi also further said that excessive chlorination of water sometimes results in the formation of byproducts that cause cancer.  To treat one litre of liquid content of sewage requires 6 kilograys (electron beam units) and it takes 300 microseconds to treat the litre.