Exploiting eBeam Technologies for Cleaning, Healing, Feeding, and Shaping this World and Beyond…
Efficacy of Electron Beam Irradiation to
Address Emerging Microbial Contaminants
in Water Reuse Programs
Suresh D. Pillai and Bill Batchelor
National Center for Electron Beam Research An IAEA Collaborating Center for Electron Beam Technology
Texas A&M University, USA
Exploiting eBeam Technologies for Cleaning, Healing, Feeding, and Shaping this World and Beyond…
The New Paradigms
• Water is a precious commodity
• Waste water treatment plants will become Energy and Resource Recovery Facilities
• Green technologies will predominate
– eBeam, the ultimate green technology
Exploiting eBeam Technologies for Cleaning, Healing, Feeding, and Shaping this World and Beyond…
Water is a Precious Commodity
Exploiting eBeam Technologies for Cleaning, Healing, Feeding, and Shaping this World and Beyond…
Water Needs in Texas
Exploiting eBeam Technologies for Cleaning, Healing, Feeding, and Shaping this World and Beyond…
Examples of Water Reuse
2012 US EPA Water reuse guidelines
Exploiting eBeam Technologies for Cleaning, Healing, Feeding, and Shaping this World and Beyond…
Water Reuse Treatment Processes
Exploiting eBeam Technologies for Cleaning, Healing, Feeding, and Shaping this World and Beyond…
Exploiting eBeam Technologies for Cleaning, Healing, Feeding, and Shaping this World and Beyond…
VISION
Sludge bed on conveyor
ebeam accelerator
ebeam accelerator
Water handling system
Exploiting eBeam Technologies for Cleaning, Healing, Feeding, and Shaping this World and Beyond…
Abbreviated Contaminant List of Concern in Texas’ Reclaimed
Water (TWDB, 2015)
Chemical Contaminants Microbial Contaminants
Disinfection by products (bromoform, bromate, chloroform, trihalomethanes)
Cryptosporidium oocysts
Household products and food additives (Bisphenol A, Perflurooctanoic acid, Perfluorooctane sulfonate)
Giardia cysts
Estrogenic compounds (17β-estradiol) Enteric viruses, Norovirus
Total coliforms, E.coli
Bacterial pathogens
eBEAM based inactivation of microbial pathogens and target organisms in effluent
Exploiting eBeam Technologies for Cleaning, Healing, Feeding, and Shaping this World and Beyond…
Reduction of Viral Pathogens
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Log
TCID
50
/ml
Dose (kGy)
Hepatitis A virus 1402 (HAV)
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Log
TCID
50
/ml
Dose (kGy)
Murine norovirus -1 (MNV)
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Log
TCID
50
/ml
Dose (kGy)
Feline calicivirus F9 (FCV)
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
0 5 10
Log
TCID
50
/ml
Dose (kGy)
Rotavirus SA-11 (RV)
Exploiting eBeam Technologies for Cleaning, Healing, Feeding, and Shaping this World and Beyond…
Reduction of Bacterial Pathogens
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7
Log
CFU
/ml
Dose (kGy)
Salmonella spp.
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8Lo
g C
FU/m
l
Dose (kGy)
Shigella spp.
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8
Log
CFU
/ml
Dose (kGy)
Aeromonas spp.
Exploiting eBeam Technologies for Cleaning, Healing, Feeding, and Shaping this World and Beyond…
eBeam Pathogen Inactivation in Wastewater
Effluent
Mean D10 Value (kGy)
Log10 Reduction Levels
Pathogen 1 kGy 5 kGy 10 kGy
Bacterial cocktails
Salmonella 0.156 ± 0.03A 5.92 29.62 59.25
Shigella 0.097 ± 0.02B 10.02 50.10 100.20
Aeromonas 0.066 ± 0.01C 15.09 75.45 150.92
Viruses
Hepatitis A Virus 4.386 ± 0.34D 0.23 1.14 2.28
Murine norovirus 3.769 ± 0.19E 0.27 1.33 2.65
Rotavirus 1.449 ± 0.15F 0.69 3.45 6.90
Protozoa
C. parvum 0.032 ± 0.002G 30.96 154.80 309.60
Exploiting eBeam Technologies for Cleaning, Healing, Feeding, and Shaping this World and Beyond…
TCEQ Target for Direct Potable Reuse Pathogen Log Reduction
Pathogen TCEQ Target eBeam dose that can achieve TCEQ Target
Viruses 8-log reduction 15 kGy
Cryptosporidium oocysts 5.5 log reduction 2 kGy
Giardia cysts 6 log reduction 2 kGy
Coliform bacteria 9 log reduction 2 kGy
Exploiting eBeam Technologies for Cleaning, Healing, Feeding, and Shaping this World and Beyond…
eBeam eliminates toxicity of wastewater
effluent based on V.fischeri test
-35
-30
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
5
10
0 10 15
% Li
ght l
oss (
-) or
gai
n (+
)
Dose (kGy)
Toxicity of eBeam processed effluents
Exploiting eBeam Technologies for Cleaning, Healing, Feeding, and Shaping this World and Beyond…
Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment
• What will be the reduction in potential infection
risks if eBeam is used for direct potable reuse?
Exploiting eBeam Technologies for Cleaning, Healing, Feeding, and Shaping this World and Beyond…
Public Health Risk Reduction by eBeam technology
Pathogen Hypothetical concentration in effluent for reuse
Infection Risks
Without eBeam treatment
With eBeam treatment (5 kGy)
Rotavirus 0.3 log PFU/100 mL
3 out of 10 persons
2 out of 10,000 persons
Shigella spp 5 log MPN/mL 8 out of 10 persons
Less than 6 out of 10 million people
Salmonella spp. 4 log MPN/mL 4 out of 100 persons
Less than 6 out of 10 million people
Exploiting eBeam Technologies for Cleaning, Healing, Feeding, and Shaping this World and Beyond…
Take Home Message for eBeam based pathogen
disinfection for water reuse
• 10 kGy eBeam dose will sterilize direct potable reuse water if used in the Advanced Treatment Process
• Green, chemical free technology
– No need to store chlorine, sulfur dioxide or peracetic acid on site
• Cost-Effective technology
Exploiting eBeam Technologies for Cleaning, Healing, Feeding, and Shaping this World and Beyond…
Water Reuse Impacts
• New technology to significantly increase effluent reuse without resorting to chemicals
• Eliminates need for ozone, UV, chlorination and possibly membrane filters
• Economic analysis comparable to chemical disinfectants (without having to rely on chemical storage, etc)
• eBeam technology to meet high flow through (> 100 mgd) critically needed – High power linacs needed (> 1MW)
