Peracetic Acid in the Reuse of Treated Wastewaters

The pressure to reuse sufficiently treated wastewaters is increasing due to water scarcity, population concentration in cities, and climate change. Wastewater disinfection is one of the most important unit processes enabling safe reuse. However, alternative disinfection methods are required since many of the conventional disinfectants involve ecological and safety risks such as the formation of harmful disinfection by-products. Another important and emerging issue is the presence of micropollutants in various aquatic systems. Reclaimed water is a potential source for micropollutants if appropriate measures are not taken to remove them. This chapter presents an overview of recent literature about the application of peracetic acid (PAA) for disinfection in different water reuse scenarios and potential of PAA to remove micropollutants when used in advanced oxidation processes.