SANITATION METHODS USING HIGH-ENERGY ELECTRON-BEAMS

Short recycling of waste water and the use of liquid or dehydrated sludge as natural manure for agriculture or animal supplement feed is of great economical and ecological interest. It implies strong biological and chemical disinfection. Ionizing radiations produced by radioactive elements or linear accelerators can be used as a complement of conventional methods in the treatment of liquid and solid waste. An experiment conducted with high-energy electron-beam linear accelerators is presented. Degradation of undesirable metabolities in water occurs for a dose of 50 kRad. Undesirable seeds present in sludge are destroyed with a 200 kRad dose. A 300 kRad dose is sufficient for parasitic and bacterial disinfection (DL 90). Destruction of polio virus (DL 90) is obtained for 400 kRad. Higher doses (1000 - 2000 kRad) produce mineralization of toxic organic mercury, reduce come chemical toxic pollutants present in sludge and improve flocculation. © 1979.