Role of Linear Accelerators in Water Treatment

Due to the aggressive industrial development in many countries, coupled with an increase in population in some of these countries, the need exists for more advanced and effective techniques for treating wastewater. Recent efforts searching for safe and practical alternatives have resulted in the consideration of the use of irradiation with high-energy electron beams. Such an electron beam can be produced by a linear accelerator (linac) of a few MeV’s of beam energy. High-energy electron radiation purifies wastewater by converting toxic chemicals to benign products and destroying disease-causing microorganisms. Applications of linacs in cancer radiotherapy, medical sterilization, polymer treatment, and food processing, have provided the impetus for advancing linac design and manufacturing techniques. Current accelerator technology is capable of providing linacs that can produce high average power, enabling them to treat high-flow rate streams. Although the results are still at an initial stage, the possibility of use of high energy radiation in wastewater treatment is worth exploring. In this paper we will review the use of high energy radiation in decomposition and removal of water pollutants and include a brief overview of linacs. Examples of electron beam systems used for water treatment at some countries are presented.