Wastewater Disinfectant Technologies a Comparative Review of the Benefits and Disadvantages of the Implementation of Peracetic Acid versus Chlorine

Abstract

Disinfection in wastewater treatment plants is an essential part of the daily process. It can be said that the majority of municipal wastewater treatment plants utilize chlorine in gas or liquid as their primary method for treating their daily water flow. Recently, studies to analyze various alternative disinfectant products have been carried out. This work presents a review analysis of the disinfection efficiency and the advantages and disadvantages of implementing peracetic acid as the main source of disinfection in a wastewater effluent. It also presents the first and only municipal wastewater treatment plant in Puerto Rico to implement peracetic acid as its main effluent disinfection chemical. The investigative review has concluded that peracetic acid is an effective disinfectant in treating municipal wastewaters. Given the various advantages like safety, economic and operational improvements it can be said that the use of peracetic acid as a disinfectant is a validated alternative to the traditional use of chlorine. Key Terms - Alternative Disinfectants, Disinfection, Peracetic Acid, Wastewater.