A complementary disinfection process that uses ultraviolet (UV) radiation as the primary
disinfectant and a chemical disinfectant (iodine) as the residual disinfectant has been
developed for use in a long-term space mission scenario. For long-term space mission
scenarios, closed-loop water treatment systems are used to continually treat a finite
amount of water for the entire mission. Chemicals added during treatment (e.g.,
disinfection) may remain and accumulate in the water as the length of the mission
increases. In addition, bacteria that are not inactivated or removed by treatment may also
persist and accumulate.
To overcome the hurdles associated with a closed-loop system, a complementary
disinfection process has been designed. UV radiation was selected as the primary
disinfectant because it is effective at inactivating a broad spectrum of microorganisms
and has minimal potential for the formation of disinfection byproducts. Iodine, which is
effective at inactivating many microorganisms, was selected as the residual disinfectant
because it has the potential for dual use as an on-line UV monitor and a disinfectant.
Also, iodine has been used as a water disinfectant in NASA space missions since the
1970s. NASA chose iodine as the disinfectant of choice because it has a low vapor
pressure and a relatively long-lasting residual (Columbo 1987). Includes 6 references, figures.
| Edition : | Vol. - No. |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 630 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 8 |
| Published : | 11/01/2005 |
