Examinando por Autor "Stanley, Simon"

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Critical assessment of optical sensor parameters for the measurement of ultraviolet LED lamps
(Elsevier, 2022) Uppinakudru, Adithya Pai; Reynolds, Ken; Stanley, Simon; Pablos, Cristina; Marugán, Javier
Measurement of light output from ultraviolet (UV) light-based devices is critical to understanding the capability of the device. Optical sensors such as radiometers and dosimeters can possess different angular responses and are sensitive to many parameters in the measurement set-up. This work has been designed to quantify the effect of multiple parameters on the measurements obtained from optical sensors to provide inputs for validating measured data for ultraviolet sources. Multiple light sources operating in the ultraviolet range have been measured and a comparison between different sensors is presented. The angular response has been evaluated for each detector and compared with an ideal cosine response. Two of the six sensors studied displayed a near cosine response. A change of angle of acceptance with wavelength was observed for the ThorLabs S120VC and ILT W Optic diffuser. Due to use of artificial heating, the effect of measured intensities on the sensor as a function of temperature was seen to be insignificant but provided an understanding of how temperature of the sensor can influence measured data. Finally, the effect of ambient light and the integration time on the measured data were investigated. The effect of ambient light proved to be significant, when not considered in measurement of low light signals sources while the effect of choosing an ideal integration time has been seen to impact the measurements obtained. A measured difference of 43% was observed between a saturated and unsaturated sensor.
Environmental life cycle assessment of UV-C LEDs vs. mercury lamps and oxidant selection for diclofenac degradation
(Elsevier, 2024) Pizzichetti, Raffaella; Martín-Gamboa, Mario; Pablos, Cristina; Reynolds, Ken; Stanley, Simon; Dufour, Javier; Marugán, Javier
This study is the first environmental comparison between a UV-C LED lamp (emitting at 265 nm) and mercury lamps employed in a lab-scale photoreactor for water treatment purification purposes, using the removal of diclofenac as a case study. Ex-ante life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology was used as a robust method to identify hotspots and recommendations at the early stage of the UV-C LEDs technology. The functional unit was defined as “the treatment of 1 L of polluted water with 20 mg L−1 of diclofenac to achieve a 90% removal of the contaminant”, while the system boundaries include the production and the operation of the photoreactors, following a cradle-to-gate approach. Several scenarios were explored, and overall, the UV-C LED lamp shows a promising environmental performance, with less or similar potential impacts than the mercury lamps in the 16 categories selected from the Environmental Footprint (EF) method. In particular, it reveals less impact in “human toxicity non-cancer” and “resource use minerals and metals” and presents electricity as the main source of impact. Given the higher efficacy of the UV-driven advanced oxidation processes compared to the UV irradiation alone, and since no studies have previously been conducted on the sustainability of free chlorine (FC) as an oxidant in water treatment, a comparison between UV-C, UV-C/H2O2, and UV-C/FC while employing the 265 nm UV-C LED lamp was also assessed. UV-C/H2O2 was more sustainable than UV-C/FC for the same treatment time, but both led to an overall impact reduction of 35% and 30%, respectively. To increase sustainability, employing cleaner energy sources such as photovoltaic or wind energy also resulted in an 80% and 93% reduction in the “climate change” category. Overall, this study demonstrates that using UV-C LEDs and the selected oxidants for water purification is beneficial and encourages the scale-up of the system.
Evaluation of the uniformity of UVA LED illumination on flat surfaces: Discrete ordinate method, single axis, and surface scanning radiometry
(Elsevier, 2023) Reddick, Conor; Casado, Cintia; Reynolds, Ken; Stanley, Simon; Pablos, Cristina; Marugán, Javier
Uniform illumination from UVA LED lamps is a crucial design characteristic for a range of industries including photocatalytic applications. In this work, radiometry and the discrete ordinate method (DOM) are used to determine the ideal target surface size and working distance from a UVA LED lamp for highly uniform illumination. Horizontal incident radiation and full surface incident radiation measurements were conducted using a scanning radiometry technique. It is shown that horizontal incident and full surface incident radiation measurements show good agreement for uniformity measurements over a range of working distances, with maximum uniformity (2.6% and 3.6% standard deviation respectively) over the measured range found at 15 mm working distance. DOM simulation results showed good agreement with radiometry for power and incident radiation measurements, whilst indicating a maximum uniformity at 20 mm working distance. These results demonstrate that DOM simulations can be used as a fast, low cost, and reliable indication of surface uniformity, peak surface irradiance, and power measurements in the design of UV lamps for industrial and academic applications.
Growth and prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in microplastic biofilm from wastewater treatment plant effluents
(Elsevier, 2022) Perveen, Shabila; Pablos, Cristina; Reynolds, Ken; Stanley, Simon; Marugán, Javier
It is accepted that Microplastic (MP) biofilms accumulates antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) in water. ARB/ARGs and MPs are emerging pollutants of concern due to various associated health risks. The objective of this study was to 1) investigate the ARB community in a pilot-scale wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent, 2) to study and visualize the ARB/ARGs in MP biofilm grown in WWTP effluent and tap water, and 3) to analyze microplastic adherent ARB/ARGs in the biofilm and planktonic ARB/ARGs in the filtrate under controlled conditions. Results indicated the dominance of Pseudomonas, Aeromonas, and Bacillus among isolated ARB in WWTP effluent. Representative resistance strains were incubated in 300 mL water containing commercial polystyrene beads of 300550 μm diameter (MP) in a series of batch experiments. Microbiological, molecular, and microscopic analyses were performed by enumeration, 16srRNA, real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and Field Emission-Scanning Electron Microscopy (FEG-SEM) techniques. The analyzed viable ARB indicated an increasing trend in MP biofilms between days 3 and 5. It further decreased on days 7 and 9. The prevalence of ARB in the filtrate and MP biofilm varied as a function of time and TOC level, while no significant impacts were observed for minor temperature variation, low antibiotic pressure, and increased MP mass with few exceptions. Relative abundance of ARGs (vanA, sul1) and integron integrase gene (intl1) in MP biofilm were significantly different across different TOC levels, time, and antibiotic pressure. ARGs and intl1 were detected in the MP biofilm in tap water and WWTP effluent on day 30.
Kinetic and mechanistic analysis of membrane fouling in microplastics removal from water by dead-end microfiltration
(Elsevier, 2023) Pizzichetti, A. Raffaella P.; Pablos, Cristina; Álvarez-Fernández, Carmen; Reynolds, Ken; Stanley, Simon; Marugán, Javier
This study explores and analyses the kinetic and mechanistic aspects of microfiltration cellulose acetate membrane fouling by polyamide (PA) and polystyrene (PS) particles in dead-end configuration and the main interactions between the microplastics and the membrane during the filtration process. First, PA and PS particles were characterised to define the differences in shape (regular and irregular), particle size distribution (10–105 µm and 20–320 µm), and surface charge (neutral and negative). The results showed that the prevailing mechanisms during microplastic filtrations were complete pore blocking followed by cake layer formation in both cases. The mechanisms’ kinetics were positively correlated to MPs load through a power-law relationship which was stronger for PS than for PA particles because of higher steric hindrance effects. On the other hand, increasing the working transmembrane pressure led to an optimum working condition, between 0.3 and 0.5 bar for PA and 0.3 bar for PS filtration. Overall, higher fouling was induced by the PA particles due to the higher PA hydrophobicity and their smaller size, which caused a denser cake layer. Instead, PS particles with higher irregularities and repulsive electrostatic forces formed a more porous layer but induced a high degree of abrasion on the membrane surface. Finally, membrane fouling led to an increase in hydrophobicity and roughness, probably causing further fouling. To conclude, modelling membrane fouling can help predict the best working conditions and the membrane replacement cycles to increase the MPs removal efficiency and reduce secondary MP-based pollution.
Photoelectrochemical disinfection efficiency of WO3-based photoanodes: Development of multifunctional photoelectrocatalytic materials
(Elsevier, 2024-07) Reddick, Connor; Sotelo-Vázquez, Carlos; Tam, Brian; Reynolds, Ken; Stanley, Simon; Creasey, George; Hankin, Anna; Pablos, Cristina; Marugán, Javier
Access to safe water is a growing global concern, with millions lacking acceptable water sources. Photocatalysis offers eco-friendly water remediation, yet its combination with electrocatalysis for both water treatment and hydrogen production remain underexplored. This study investigates UVA LED photoelectrocatalysis using WO3-based photoanodes, alone or in heterojunction with BiVO4, to purify wastewater and co-produce hydrogen. Tests on polluted water streams containing 105 PFU mL−1 of MS2 bacteriophage virus and 106 CFU mL−1 of E. coli reveal that nanostructured WO3 achieves rapid MS2 disinfection within 5 min. (k= 0.80 min−1), with enhanced efficiency over flat counterparts. However, nanostructuring does not improve E. coli inactivation due to bacterium size constraints. These findings advance the design of tandem photoreactors for dual wastewater purification and energy generation
Removal of diclofenac by UV-B and UV-C light-emitting diodes (LEDs) driven advanced oxidation processes (AOPs): Wavelength dependence, kinetic modelling and energy consumption
(Elsevier, 2023) Pizzichetti, Raffaella; Reynolds, Ken; Pablos, Cristina; Casado, Cintia; Moore, Eric; Stanley, Simon; Marugán, Javier
In this study, the degradation of diclofenac (DCF), a frequently detected non-steroidal pharmaceutical, was evaluated by using UV-B and UV-C (265, 285, and 310 nm) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) alone and in combination with hydrogen peroxide (UV/H2O2) and free chlorine (UV/FC). The degradation of DCF followed a pseudo first-order kinetic, and their trend reflected the pattern of the molar absorption coefficients of the DCF and the oxidants. A positive synergistic factor was found for the UV-LED driven advanced oxidation processes in almost all cases, but despite the higher degradation rates, the overall electricity demand is similar to UV alone due to the oxidants’ energy cost. The rigorous kinetic degradation mechanisms at different wavelengths were proposed for the two processes, UV/H2O2 and UV/FC, where the predicted values were respectively kHO = 9.12 ⋅ 109 M− 1 s − 1 and kCl = 1.30 ⋅ 1010 M− 1 s − 1 . No significant synergy (p > 0.05) was found for the dual-wavelength system (265 + 285 nm), and the time-based constants in all cases changed linearly with lamp intensity. Finally, dissolved organic carbon and phytotoxicity analysis revealed low mineralisation (around 20–30%) associated with the formation of stable dimers and a decrease in toxicity towards tomato and radish seeds. In the main, this work shows the great potential of implementing wavelength-specific LEDs in water treatments and effectively designing the reactor playing with adjustable intensities and kinetic degradation rates.