Inactivation of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts with ozone and free chlorine

The objective of this study is to investigate the synergy involved in the sequential inactivation of C. parvum oocysts with ozone followed by free chlorine at 1-20 degrees C. Primary ozone and free chlorine inactivation curves are characterized by an initial lag-phase, followed by one or two post-lag-phase segments, the first segment at a faster rate than the second, of pseudo-first-order inactivation. The kinetics of primary inactivation with ozone and free chlorine has a relatively strong temperature dependence, and vary both with oocyst lot and oocyst age. Synergy is observed for the sequential inactivation of C. parvum oocysts with ozone/free chlorine. Ozone pre-treatment results in the disappearance of the lag-phase and the occurrence of a secondary free chlorine inactivation curve with generally two pseudo-first-order segments, the first segment at a faster rate than the second. The kinetics of both secondary segments is significantly faster than the post-lag-phase rate of inactivation with free chlorine alone. The temperature dependence for both phases of the secondary free chlorine inactivation kinetics is weaker compared to that for primary inactivation with ozone or free chlorine. As a result, the level of synergy in sequential disinfection with ozone/free chlorine increases with decreasing temperature within the range relevant to drinking water utilities. Good agreement is found between the kinetics determined using the modified in-vitro excystation method of viability assessment and animal infectivity data recently reported in the literature for both primary inactivation with ozone, and sequential disinfection with ozone/free chlorine.     

Investigating synergism during sequential inactivation of MS-2 phage and Bacillus subtilis spores with UV/H2O2 followed by free chlorine

A sequential application of UV as a primary disinfectant with and without H₂O₂ addition followed by free chlorine as secondary, residual disinfectant was performed to evaluate the synergistic inactivation of selected indicator microorganisms, MS-2 bacteriophage and Bacillus subtilis spores. No synergism was observed when the UV irradiation treatment was followed by free chlorine, i.e., the overall level of inactivation was the same as the sum of the inactivation levels achieved by each disinfection step. With the addition of H₂O₂ in the primary UV disinfection step, however, enhanced microbial inactivation was observed. The synergism was observed in two folds manners: (1) additional inactivation achieved by hydroxyl radicals generated from the photolysis of H₂O₂ in the primary UV disinfection step, and (2) damage to microorganisms in the primary step which facilitated the subsequent chlorine inactivation. Addition of H₂O₂ in the primary disinfection step was also found to be beneficial for the degradation of selected model organic pollutants including bisphenol-A (endocrine disruptor), geosmin (taste and odor causing compound) and 2,4-D (herbicide). The results suggest that the efficiency of UV/free chlorine sequential disinfection processes, which are widely employed in drinking water treatment, could be significantly enhanced by adding H₂O₂ in the primary step and hence converting the UV process to an advanced oxidation process.     

Application of GaN-based ultraviolet-C light emitting diodes--UV LEDs--for water disinfection

GaN-based ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light emitting diodes (LEDs) are of great interest for water disinfection. They offer significant advantages compared to conventional mercury lamps due to their compact form factor, low power requirements, high efficiency, non-toxicity, and overall robustness. However, despite the significant progress in the performance of semiconductor based UV LEDs that has been achieved in recent years, these devices still suffer from low emission power and relatively short lifetimes. Even the best UV LEDs exhibit external quantum efficiencies of only 1-2%.The objective of this study was to investigate the suitability of GaN-based UV LEDs for water disinfection. The investigation included the evaluation of the performance characteristics of UV LEDs at different operating conditions as well as the design of a UV LED module in view of the requirements for water treatment applications. Bioanalytical testing was conducted using Bacillus subtilis spores as test organism and UV LED modules with emission wavelengths of 269 nm and 282 nm.The results demonstrate the functionality of the developed UV LED disinfection modules. GaN-based UV LEDs effectively inactivated B. subtilis spores during static and flow-through tests applying varying water qualities. The 269 nm LEDs reached a higher level of inactivation than the 282 nm LEDs for the same applied fluence. The lower inactivation achieved by the 282 nm LEDs was compensated by their higher photon flux. First flow-through tests indicate a linear correlation between inactivation and fluence, demonstrating a well designed flow-through reactor. With improved light output and reduced costs, GaN-based UV LEDs can provide a promising alternative for decentralised and mobile water disinfection systems.     

Comparison of Disinfection Techniques for Sewage and Sewage Effluents

This paper reviews operational and experimental disinfection techniques for the removal of pathogens from sewage and secondary effluent prior to marine discharge. Disinfection options considered include chlorine (hypochlorite, chloramines, OSEC), ultraviolet light (UV), ozone, chlorine dioxide, bromine chloride, peracetic acid (PAA) and gamma irradiation. A comparison of alternative systems is made in terms of their inactivation efficiency, safety, environmental impact and cost. Budget costs were obtained from chemical and equipment suppliers for the disinfection of a theoretical case-study, to enable a direct cost-comparison to be made.     

Synergistic effect of the sequential use of UV irradiation and chlorine to disinfect reclaimed water

The effectiveness of UV and chlorination, used individually and sequentially, was investigated in killing pathogenic microorganisms and inhibiting the formation of disinfection by-products in two different municipal wastewaters for the source water of reclaimed water, which were from a microfilter (W1) and membrane bioreactor (W2) respectively. Heterotrophic plate count (HPC), total bacteria count (TBC), and total coliform (TC) were selected to evaluate the efficiency of different disinfection processes. UV inactivation of the three bacteria followed first-order kinetics in W1 wastewater, but in W2 wastewater, the UV dose-response curve trailed beyond approximately 10 mJ/cm² UV. The higher number of particles in the W2 might have protected the bacteria against UV damage, as UV light alone was not effective in killing HPC in W2 wastewater with higher turbidity. However, chlorine was more effective in W2 than in W1 for the three bacteria inactivation owing to the greater formation of inorganic and organic chloramines in W1 wastewater. Complete inactivation of HPC in W1 wastewater required a chlorine dose higher than 5.5 mg/L, whereas 4.5 mg/L chlorine gave the equivalent result in W2 wastewater. In contrast, sequential UV and chlorine treatment produced a synergistic effect in both wastewater systems and was the most effective option for complete removal of all three bacteria. UV disinfection lowered the required chlorine dose in W1, but not in W2, because of the higher chlorine consumption in W2 wastewater. However, UV irradiation decreased total trihalomethane formation during chlorination in both wastewaters.     

紫外线和氯组合方式对大肠杆菌灭活效果的影响研究

系统地比较了紫外线和氯不同的组合方式对大肠杆菌的灭活效果.结果表明,紫外线和氯联合顺序消毒在一定程度上提高了消毒效果,但不同的组合方式以及两者不同的剂量对灭活效果都有影响.紫外线和氯先后作用的消毒效果优于紫外线和氯同时消毒.先氯后紫外线消毒时,加较高浓度的氯且短时间接触即可达到较好的消毒效果;先紫外线后氯消毒时,氯剂量越大则灭活率越高,若氯浓度相同而接触时间不同,则灭活效果差别不大.     

Ultraviolet and ionizing radiation for microorganism inactivation

The impacts of UV irradiation, gamma irradiation, and a combination of both on Escherichia coli inactivation in primary and secondary wastewater effluents were investigated. UV doses of 35 and 62 J/m(2) were required for a 1-log inactivation of E. coli in the primary and secondary wastewater samples, respectively. A gamma dose of 170 Gy (J/kg) was required for a 1-log inactivation of E. coli in both wastewater samples. Variation in gamma radiation dose rates did not have a significant impact on the extent of inactivation at a given total dose. Gamma irradiation of previously UV-irradiated samples indicated that particle-associated microorganisms, which are protected from UV, can be inactivated by ionizing radiation at a rate similar to that for free microorganism inactivation. An estimation of the energy required for disinfection indicated that, in general, the required energy and the energy cost for E. coli inactivation using ionizing radiation are considerably higher than those for UV radiation.     

Sequential inactivation of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts with chlorine dioxide followed by free chlorine or monochloramine.

The main objective of this study was to assess the effect of temperature (4-30 degrees C) on the inactivation kinetics of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts with sequential disinfection schemes involving the use of chlorine dioxide as the primary disinfectant and free or combined chlorine as the secondary disinfectant in synthetic water. The synergy previously reported for sequential inactivation of C. parvum oocysts with ozone/free chlorine or ozone/combined chlorine did not occur when chlorine dioxide was used. instead of ozone, as the primary disinfectant within the temperature range (4-30 degrees C) and the pre-treatment levels investigated. Sequential ozone/chlorine dioxide and chlorine dioxide ozone experiments revealed that the lower level or absence of synergy for chlorine dioxide/free chlorine and chlorine dioxide, monochloramine was likely the result of chlorine dioxide reacting with oocyst chemical groups that are mostly different from those reacting with ozone, free chlorine, or monochloramine. The CT concept was found to be valid for the primary inactivation kinetics of C. parvum oocysts with chlorine dioxide, thus allowing the use of the simpler CT approach for the development of C. partum inactivation requirements with chlorine dioxide. General consistency was found between the secondary inactivation kinetics of C. parvum oocysts with free chlorine and monochloramine after chlorine dioxide pretreatment obtained in this study with oocyst viability determined by a modified in vitro excystation method and those reported in the literature for the same sequential disinfection schemes based on an animal infectivity assay.     

Effect of particles and bioflocculation on ultraviolet disinfection of Escherichia coli

Presence of particles is known to decrease the effectiveness of ultraviolet (UV) disinfection by shielding the targeted microorganisms from UV light. This study aims to provide an in-depth understanding on the effect of particles and flocs on UV disinfection by using a stable, well-defined and well-controlled synthetic system that can simulate the bioflocculation of particles and microorganisms in water and wastewater samples. The synthetic system was created by using Escherichia coli, latex particles (1, 3.2, 11, 25, and 45 μm), alginate, and divalent cations; and the bioflocculation of particles was achieved naturally, as it would occur in the environment, without using chemical coagulants. E. coli was quantified before and after UV disinfection using membrane filtration. Even in the absence of particles, some of the self-aggregated E. coli could survive a UV dose of 90 mJ/cm². E. coli inactivation levels measured in the presence of particles were lower than the inactivation levels measured in the absence of particles. At low UV doses (<9 mJ/cm²), neither particle size nor degree of flocculation had a significant effect on the inactivation of E. coli. Particle size had a significant effect on the inactivation of E. coli only at high UV doses (80 mJ/cm²), and larger particles (e.g., 25 μm) protected bacteria more compared to smaller particles (e.g., 3.2 and 11 μm). What size of particles flocs were made of (3.2, 11, and 25 μm) did not make a significant difference on the inactivation levels of E. coli. For 3.2 μm particles, there was no significant difference in E. coli inactivation between non-flocculated and flocculated samples at any UV dose. For 11 and 25 μm particles, there was a significant difference in E. coli inactivation between non-flocculated and flocculated samples at 80 mJ/cm². Degree of flocculation became a significant factor in determining the number of surviving bacteria only at high UV doses and only for larger particles.     

The effect of UV light on the inactivation of Giardia lamblia and Giardia muris cysts as determined by animal infectivity assay (P-2951-01)

This study measured the effect of germicidal ultraviolet (UV) light on Giardia lamblia and Giardia muris cysts, as determined by their infectivity in Mongolian gerbils and CD-1 mice, respectively. Reduction of cyst infectivity due to UV exposure was quantified by applying most probable number techniques. Controlled bench-scale, collimated-beam tests exposed cysts suspended in filtered natural water to light from a low-pressure UV lamp. Both G. lamblia and G. muris cysts showed similar sensitivity to UV light. At 3 mJ/cm2, a dose 10-fold lower than what large-scale UV reactors may be designed to provide, > 2-log10 (99 percent) inactivation was observed. These results, combined with previously published data showing other protozoa and bacteria have similar, high sensitivity to UV light, establish that UV disinfection of drinking water is controlled by viruses which may require over 10-fold more UV dose for the same level of control.     

Inactivation of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts using medium- and low-pressure ultraviolet radiation

The effect of ultraviolet radiation from low- and medium-pressure mercury arc lamps on Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts was studied using a collimated beam apparatus. Experiments were conducted using parasites suspended in both filtered surface water and phosphate buffered laboratory water. Inactivation of oocysts was measured as reduction in infectivity using a CD-1 neonatal mouse model and was found to be a non-linear function of UV dose over the range of germicidal doses tested (0.8-119 mJ/cm2). Oocyst inactivation increased rapidly with UV dose at doses less than 25 mJ/cm2 with two and three log-units inactivation at approximately 10 and 25 mJ/cm2, respectively. The cause of significant leveling-off and tailing in the UV inactivation curve at higher doses was not determined. Maximum measured oocyst inactivation ranged from 3.4 to greater than 4.9 log-units and was dependent on different batches of parasites. Water type and temperature, the concentration of oocysts in the suspension, and the UV irradiance did not have significant impacts on oocyst inactivation. When compared on the basis of germicidal UV dose, the oocysts were equally sensitive to low- and medium-pressure UV radiation. With respect to Cryptosporidium, both low- and medium-pressure ultraviolet radiation are attractive alternatives to conventional chemical disinfection methods in drinking water treatment.     

紫外线消毒对光复活时大肠杆菌活性的影响

以大肠杆菌为研究对象，考察了紫外线消毒对大肠杆菌的灭活效果及紫外线消毒后大肠杆菌在可见光下发生光复活的情况，同时考察了紫外线消毒和光复活过程中大肠杆菌电子传递体系（ETS）活性的变化。结果表明，大肠杆菌的灭活率随着紫外线剂量的增加而提高，在相同剂量下高强度的紫外线对大肠杆菌的灭活效果好于低强度的紫外线。经紫外线灭活后的大肠杆菌在可见光下会发生光复活，紫外线剂量对大肠杆菌的光复活有一定影响，高剂量下大肠杆菌发生光复活的能力比低剂量下的差；相同剂量下，较高强度的紫外线有利于控制大肠杆菌的光复活。对大肠杆菌ETS活性的研究表明，随着紫外线强度和剂量的增加，大肠杆菌的活性不断降低；紫外线消毒后的大肠杆菌经可见光照射后发生光复活时，其活性有所增加，在较高的紫外线剂量和强度下大肠杆菌的活性增加较少，而在较低剂量和强度下大肠杆菌的活性恢复能力较强。     

Low- and medium-pressure UV inactivation of microsporidia Encephalitozoon intestinalis

Newly recognized waterborne pathogens such as microsporidia are being detected in the world's water supplies with increasing frequency. Many of these organisms have been shown to cause negative health impacts for both immunocompetent as well as immunocompromised individuals. It is imperative that these emerging pathogens be investigated for their ability to resist both traditional and novel disinfection technologies that are currently in use or under consideration for drinking water treatment. Low- and medium pressure UV light is at the cutting edge of disinfection technologies for the drinking water industry. While previous UV disinfection studies have focused on the inactivation of Cryptosporidium and Giardia as well as viruses and common bacteria, this research reports the ability of low- and medium pressure UV light to inactivate > 3.6 log10 of microsporidia Encephalitozoon intestinalis spores at a dose of 6 mJ/cm2 or higher as determined using a cell culture approach.     

Inactivation of particle-associated microorganisms in wastewater disinfection: modeling of ozone and chlorine reactive diffusive transport in polydispersed suspensions

Occlusion of microorganisms in wastewater particles often governs the overall performance of a disinfection system, and the associated health risks of post-disinfected effluents. Little is currently known on the penetration of chemical oxidants into particles developed in wastewater treatment. In this work, a reactive transport model that incorporates intra- and extra-particle chemical decay, radial intra-particle diffusion, mass transfer resistance at particle surfaces, and non-linear reaction kinetics within a competitive multi-particle size aqueous environment, was used to analyze the penetration of ozone and chlorine into wastewater particles. Individual characteristics from two secondary wastewater treatment facilities were used in model calibration. Simulations revealed that significant ozone transport within particles greater than 6 microm required large initial concentrations to exhaust the preferential reaction with aqueous soluble matter. Chlorinated samples exhibited apparently slower reactions and thus deeper penetration (22-40 microm). Chlorine penetration was less sensitive to variations in the extra-particle reaction and disinfectant concentration than ozone. Model simulations that considered elevated initial concentrations of chemical disinfectants revealed that complete inactivation of all particle size domains was not possible with current disinfection practices (e.g., contact times). Reduction in the health risks associated with wastewater particles requires treatment that efficiently balances particle removal (filtration) and particle inactivation (disinfection).     

紫外线消毒反应器的生物验证试验研究

紫外线消毒技术存在无持续消毒效应、不能在线监测等缺点,因此为了保证紫外线消毒的安全可靠,必须对所设计的紫外反应器进行生物验证试验,以确保反应器的消毒效果和剂量。通过对加拿大紫外消毒反应器在不同透光率下的消毒效果和剂量进行研究,建立了该反应器所对应的紫外线剂量-灭活率曲线。结果表明,该反应器对MS-2噬菌体具有良好的灭活效果。     

Pulsed ultraviolet light inactivation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus biofilms

Microbial biofilms are complex communities that form when planktonic bacterial species attach to surfaces in many settings where they can provide a source of pathogenicity. The relative ineffectiveness of conventional disinfectants such as free chlorine and monochloramine for the inactivation of some species found in water has led to evaluation of alternative disinfectants for drinking and wastewater treatment. In recent years, novel pulsed power electrotechnologies have been introduced and are being considered as possible alternatives to current methods for inactivating problematic species in water. This study focuses on the ultraviolet (UV) inactivation of bacterial biofilms using a pulsed UV light approach as a potential disinfection method for water treatment operating systems. Biofilms were stimulated to form attached to polyvinyl chloride coupons using a recommended Centre for Disease Control biofilm reactor followed by exposure to a range of UV doses. Findings show that this method is highly effective at inactivating both planktonic and biofilm cells with significant inactivation rates obtained for both test species. Specifically, a 7.2 and 5.9 log₁₀ inactivation was achieved with up to 21.6 μJ/cm² UV for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. Findings from this study highlight the effectiveness of pulsed UV for the inactivation of Pseudomonas biofilms among other test species. Research conducted by this group suggests that this pulsed UV system may offer a useful method for the disinfection of drinking and wastewater supplies.     

Inactivation of bacteriophage MS2 upon exposure to very low concentrations of chlorine dioxide

This study investigates the effects of very low concentrations of ClO₂ applied in drinking water practice on the inactivation of bacteriophage MS2. Concentrations of 0.5 mg/L, 0.1 mg/L and 0.02 mg/L ClO₂ inactivated at least 5 log units of MS2 after an exposure time of approximately 20, 50 and 300 min respectively. When the ClO₂ concentration was as low as 0.005 mg/L, inactivation of 1 log unit MS2 was observed after 300 min exposure. Increasing the contact time to 24 h did not increase the inactivation any further. Non-linear inactivation kinetics (tailing) were observed for all conditions tested. Repeated addition of MS2 to the reactor showed that tailing was not caused by a reduction of the biocidal effect of ClO₂ during disinfection. The Modified Chick-Watson, the Efficiency Factor Hom (EFH) model and the Modified Cerf model, a modification of the two-fraction Cerf model, were fitted to the non-linear inactivation curves. Both the EFH and the modified Cerf model did fit accurately to the inactivation data of all experiments. The good fit of the Modified Cerf model supports the hypothesis of the presence of two subpopulations. Our study showed that ClO₂ is an effective disinfectant against model organism MS2, also at the low concentrations applied in water treatment practice. The inactivation kinetics followed a biphasic pattern due to the presence of a more ClO₂-resistant subpopulation of MS2 phages, either caused by population heterogeneity or aggregation/adhesion of MS2.     

Inactivation of indigenous coliform bacteria in unfiltered surface water by ultraviolet light

This study examined the potential for naturally occurring particles to protect indigenous coliform from ultraviolet (UV) disinfection in four surface waters. Tailing in the UV dose-response curve of the bacteria was observed in 3 of the 4 water samples after 1.3-2.6-log of log-linear inactivation, implying particle-related protection. The impact of particles was confirmed by comparing coliform UV inactivation data for parallel filtered (11 microm pore-size nylon filters) and unfiltered surface water. In samples from the Grand River (UVT: 65%/cm; 5.4 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU)) and the Rideau Canal (UVT: 60%/cm; 0.84 NTU), a limit of approximately 2.5 log inactivation was achieved in the unfiltered samples for a UV dose of 20 mJ/cm2 while both the filtered samples exhibited >3.4-log inactivation of indigenous coliform bacteria. The results suggest that particles as small as 11 microm, naturally found in surface water with low turbidity (<3NTU), are able to harbor indigenous coliform bacteria and offer protection from low-pressure UV light.     

Investigating synergism during sequential inactivation of Bacillus subtilis spores with several disinfectants

The sequential application of ozone, chlorine dioxide, or UV followed by free chlorine was performed to investigate the synergistic inactivation of Bacillus subtilis spores. The greatest synergism was observed when chlorine dioxide was used as a primary disinfectant followed by secondary disinfection with free chlorine. A lesser synergistic effect was observed when ozone was used as the primary disinfectant, but no synergism was observed when UV was used as the primary disinfectant. When free chlorine was used as the primary disinfectant (i.e., sequential application in the reverse order), the synergistic effect was shown only when chlorine dioxide was applied as the secondary disinfectant. The synergistic effect observed could be related to damage to the spore coat during primary disinfection, suggested by the loss of proteins from spores during disinfectant treatment. The greatest synergism observed by the chlorine dioxide/free chlorine pair suggested that common reaction sites might exist for these disinfectants. The concept of percent synergistic effect was introduced to quantitatively compare the extent of synergistic effects in the sequential disinfection processes.