A High-Radical-Yield Advanced Oxidation Process Coupling Far-UVC Radiation with Chlorinated Cyanurates for Micropollutant Degradation in Water

Increasing the radical yield and reducing energy consumption would enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for micropollutant degradation in water. We herein report a novel AOP coupling far-UVC radiation at 222 nm with chlorinated cyanurates (termed the UV222/Cl-cyanurates AOP) for radical generation and micropollutant abatement in water. We experimentally determined the concentrations of HO•, Cl•, and ClO• in the UV222/Cl-cyanurates AOP in deionized water and swimming pool water. The radical concentrations are 10–27 times and 4–13 times, respectively, higher than those in the UV254/Cl-cyanurates AOP and the well-documented UV254/chlorine AOP under comparable conditions (e.g., same UV fluence and oxidant dosing). We determined the molar absorption coefficients and innate quantum yields of two chlorine species and two Cl-cyanurates at 222 nm and incorporated these parameters into a kinetic model. The model enables accurate prediction of oxidant photodecay rates as well as the pH impact on radical generation in the UV222/Cl-cyanurates AOP. We predicted the pseudo-first-order degradation rate constants of 25 micropollutants in the UV222/Cl-cyanurates AOP and demonstrated that many micropollutants can be degraded by >80% with a low UV fluence of 25 mJ cm–2. This work advances the fundamental photochemistry of chlorine and Cl-cyanurates at 222 nm and offers a highly effective engineering tool in combating micropollutants in water where Cl-cyanurates are suitable to use.