Solar detoxification process: The most promising technology for destroying TOCs in wastewater treatment is the UV advanced oxidation

processes (AOPs). In commercial applications, the most common AOPs utilize UV light combined with ozone (far-UV/O3), hydrogen peroxide (far-UV/H2O2), or a photocatalyst to generate hydroxyl radicals (near UV/TiO2) (Prairie et al 1995). Among these, TiO2 is the most commonly used photocatalytic oxidant in commercial solar- and lamp-based detoxification systems. NREL also developed a heterogeneous photocatalyst that outperforms standard TiO2 for commercial applications; however, the research has not been followed up (Blake 2000). The oxidation chemistry and potency of the photocatalytic process of solar detoxification systems are similar to other chemical oxidation methods that generate hydroxyl radicals. Like UV/O3 and UV/H2O2, solar detoxification systems can oxidize organic pollutants into nontoxic materials, such as CO2 and water and can disinfect certain bacteria. This technology is very effective at removing further hazardous organic compounds (TOCs) and at killing a variety of bacteria and some viruses in the secondary wastewater treatment of effluents, but it is not effective at treating raw wastewater. Pilot projects demonstrated that solar detoxification systems could effectively kill fecal coliform bacteria in secondary wastewater treatment (Burch and Thomas 1998). Therefore, some kind of pre-treatment, such as stabilization ponds or conventional wastewater treatment methods (which consist of a preliminary sedimentation tank, a trickling filter, and a secondary sedimentation tank), is necessary to use this technology effectively. Other solar detoxification systems, using a thin-film, fixed-bed reactor (TFFBR), developed without a light-concentrating detoxification system (Bahnemann et al 1997), are recommended for relatively small volumes of waste or drinking water. TFFBR is a non-light-concentrating system that uses a TiO2 catalyst. This technology, using stand-alone PV systems, has been tested and proven to be suitable to pre-treat wastewater that will be reused or to purify polluted drinking water for small communities or individual households in Germany. In this technology, a certain volumetric decomposition of the pollutants is maintained by adjusting the flow rate on the photoreactor to the available amount of UV light. The UV sensor controls the voltage regulator that supplies the voltage to the motor pump. This technology can be used for various applications, especially in regions that have a high amount of solar radiation per year. According to a study made by Turchi et al (1992) and Link and Turchi (1991), cost projections of solar detoxification systems are comparable to those of conventional technologies such as carbon absorption and electric-lamp-powered, UV light/H2O2 systems.