Reply #15: UV is not as good a solution as ozone. [View All]

[NNadir]

UV is effective at killing most - but not all - organisms, but its ability to affect chemical contamination is limited by the absorption bands of the chemical in question. Many toxic compounds, including many found in oil are only effectively destroyed by very short UV radiation that is not very easily transmitted, or for that matter generated.

Ozone is much better at oxidizing chemical contamination. A caveat is that ozone is reasonably against most - but not all organic compounds. It will do nothing to remove heavy metal contamination (neither will UV). In some cases, ozone can be deleterious. For instance, if water is contaminated by chromium, lower valent chromium can be oxidized to chromium (VII). All chromium (VII) compounds are carcinogenic. Similarly, manganese, a constiutent of all living things, is oxidized to permanganate.