TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON (TOC) REDUCTION IN WATER TREATMENT

 TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON (TOC) REDUCTION IN WATER TREATMENT

TOC is short for Total Organic Carbon, which within water treatment is referring to the total amount of organic carbon found in water.

The reduction of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) in water is critical in applications such as microelectronics and semiconductors, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and processing wastewater, to ensure ultrapure water.

The risks of not reducing TOC in purified water

Lacking to live up to the high standards for consistent water purity in the previously mentioned applications can pose significant consequences. In order to live up to these high water-quality demands, an important part of the process is to look into the total amount of organic carbon found in the water.

This is for instance topical in food and beverage production processes, where ultra-pure water has a vital impact on the shelf life and overall quality of the products. In these environments, even the smallest of contaminants can have a major negative impact leading to significant economic losses. This makes it a necessity to have continuous availability of high-quality water, to ensure consistent product quality and reliability.

Another example is the pharmaceutical industry which has exceptionally high requirements for sanitation, making it necessary to ensure a trustworthy and consistent source of ultra-pure water.

This creates the need for TOC reduction methods, in which UV technology plays a key role.

“Differently from Europe, the electronics and semiconductor industries play an important role in ASEAN’s economic development. Customers in such industries always highly demand ultra-purified water (UPW) to facilitate the production of their valued products. UV technology is needed not only for effective disinfection, but also TOC removal as well. 

Reducing Total Organic Carbon (TOC) in water

Reducing TOC in water requires the use of a higher UV energy level, which is created at 185nm wavelength. The TOC Reduction systems from Clean Water Solutions use UV lamps that emit light at this wavelength, with light energy that promotes the formation of OH-radicals from the photolysis of water. The OH-radicals react with the organic matter in the water leading to the oxidation into CO2 (carbon dioxide) and H2O (water), effectively resulting in the removal of TOC.

Aquanator Technology

These UV TOC reactors are optimized through a combined chemical process and CFD modeling approach, attaining industry-leading standards.

For additional improved efficiency, the Aquanator UV TOC reactors can be combined with the addition of other oxidants such as hydrogen peroxide and ozone.