An Efficient Reactor for Purification of Domestic Water Using Solar Energy

Abstract

Contamination of water due to various organic substances such as bacteria, pesticides causes serious health issues. A reactor system was fabricated utilizing renewable solar energy for purification of pollutants dissolved in drinking water. A novel glass tube based prototype reactor was constructed by coating nano-titanium dioxide (TiO2) inside the glass tubes. The Nano-TiO2 was deposited on the bottom surface of the clear glass tubes and is connected in parallel increasing the surface area. For highly contaminated water, increased number of connected tubes and/or several reactors and/or slow flow rate of water are possible. In the present study single reactor module was used for convenience. The reactor was exposed to sunlight and the contaminated water was passed through the reactor. The photocatalytic activity including antibacterial activity was tested using Methylene blue and the bacterial culture, Escherichia coli. The reactor system is found to be effective in decontaminating the tested organic entities. The reactor module can be used to purify water for drinking purpose and can be fixed on top of roofs for exposure to sunlight. KeywordsSolar Energy; Titanium Dioxide; Photocatalyst