UVC inactivation of MS2-phage in drinking water – Modelling and field testing

Veronica Baldasso; Helen Lubarsky; Natalia Pichel; Andrea Turolla; Manuela Antonelli; Margarita Hincapie; Liliana Botero; Fermin Reygadas; Ane Galdos-Balzategui; J.A. Byrne; Pilar Fernandez-Ibañez

doi:10.1016/j.watres.2021.117496

UVC inactivation of MS2-phage in drinking water – Modelling and field testing

Veronica Baldasso
, Helen Lubarsky
, Natalia Pichel
, Andrea Turolla
, Manuela Antonelli
, Margarita Hincapie
, Liliana Botero
, Fermin Reygadas
, Ane Galdos-Balzategui
, J.A. Byrne
, Pilar Fernandez-Ibañez

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

25 Citations (Scopus)

350 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

UVC disinfection has been recognised by the WHO as an effective disinfection treatment to provide decentralized potable water. Under real conditions there are still unknowns that limit this application including the influence of suspended solids and natural organic matter. This work aims to investigate the influence of two key parameters, suspended solids and natural organic matter, on the efficiency of UVC disinfection of surface water to achieve the drinking water quality requirements established by the WHO for point of use (POU) technologies. Kaolinite (turbidity agent) and humic acids (HA, model of organic matter) were used in a factorial design of experiments (Turbidity from 0 to 5 NTU, and HA from 0 to 3.5 mg/L) to investigate their effect on UVC inactivation of MS2 phage in surface water. A collimated beam (12 W) and a commercial UVC disinfection flow system (16 W) designed to provide drinking water at households were used. The UVC flow system both in the laboratory and in the field was able to achieve the reduction requirements established by WHO (LRV >3.5 for all tested conditions), confirming the good performance of the studied UVC disinfection system. The results found in the lab were used to establish a numerical model that predicts the disinfection rate constant as a function of water turbidity and transmittance at 254 nm (confidence level>95%). The model permitted to elucidate the critical effect of low concentrations of HA in reducing the inactivation rate by 40% for 3.5 mg/L-HA compared with 0, the non-significant detrimental effect of turbidity lower than 5 NTU, and the lack of synergistic effects between both parameters at these levels. The UVC flow system was also tested in the field, in Tzabalho, Chiapas (Mexico), and Antioquia (Colombia), with spiked MS2 into natural surface water. This investigation opens a potential application to monitor the performance of UVC systems with surface water by monitoring transmittance at 254 nm as a tool to control UVC domestic systems to deliver safe drinking water in a household without the need of expensive and laborious biological monitoring tools. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.]

Original language	English
Article number	117496
Pages (from-to)	117496
Journal	Water Research
Volume	203
Early online date	5 Aug 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2021.117496
Publication status	Published (in print/issue) - 15 Sept 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) UK Research and Innovation (SAFEWATER; EPSRC Grant Reference EP/P032427/1 ) and the Royal Society – International Collaboration Awards 2020 (ICA/R1/201373). The authors acknowledge the Agricultural Microbiology Laboratory of ECOSUR (San Cristobal, Chiapas) for allowing the microbiological analysis performance in their facilities.

Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) UK Research and Innovation (SAFEWATER; EPSRC Grant Reference EP/P032427/1) and the Royal Society ? International Collaboration Awards 2020 (ICA/R1/201373). The authors acknowledge the Agricultural Microbiology Laboratory of ECOSUR (San Cristobal, Chiapas) for allowing the microbiological analysis performance in their facilities.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021

Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Funding

Funding Information: This work was supported by the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) UK Research and Innovation (SAFEWATER; EPSRC Grant Reference EP/P032427/1 ) and the Royal Society – International Collaboration Awards 2020 (ICA/R1/201373). The authors acknowledge the Agricultural Microbiology Laboratory of ECOSUR (San Cristobal, Chiapas) for allowing the microbiological analysis performance in their facilities. Funding Information: This work was supported by the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) UK Research and Innovation (SAFEWATER; EPSRC Grant Reference EP/P032427/1) and the Royal Society ? International Collaboration Awards 2020 (ICA/R1/201373). The authors acknowledge the Agricultural Microbiology Laboratory of ECOSUR (San Cristobal, Chiapas) for allowing the microbiological analysis performance in their facilities. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation

Keywords

Disinfection
Experimental factorial design
Humic acids
Kaolinite
MS2-bacteriophage
Ultraviolet Rays
Levivirus
Water Purification
Drinking Water

Access to Document

10.1016/j.watres.2021.117496Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

1-s2.0-S0043135421006941-mainFinal published version, 6.79 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

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title = "UVC inactivation of MS2-phage in drinking water – Modelling and field testing",

abstract = "UVC disinfection has been recognised by the WHO as an effective disinfection treatment to provide decentralized potable water. Under real conditions there are still unknowns that limit this application including the influence of suspended solids and natural organic matter. This work aims to investigate the influence of two key parameters, suspended solids and natural organic matter, on the efficiency of UVC disinfection of surface water to achieve the drinking water quality requirements established by the WHO for point of use (POU) technologies. Kaolinite (turbidity agent) and humic acids (HA, model of organic matter) were used in a factorial design of experiments (Turbidity from 0 to 5 NTU, and HA from 0 to 3.5 mg/L) to investigate their effect on UVC inactivation of MS2 phage in surface water. A collimated beam (12 W) and a commercial UVC disinfection flow system (16 W) designed to provide drinking water at households were used. The UVC flow system both in the laboratory and in the field was able to achieve the reduction requirements established by WHO (LRV >3.5 for all tested conditions), confirming the good performance of the studied UVC disinfection system. The results found in the lab were used to establish a numerical model that predicts the disinfection rate constant as a function of water turbidity and transmittance at 254 nm (confidence level>95\%). The model permitted to elucidate the critical effect of low concentrations of HA in reducing the inactivation rate by 40\% for 3.5 mg/L-HA compared with 0, the non-significant detrimental effect of turbidity lower than 5 NTU, and the lack of synergistic effects between both parameters at these levels. The UVC flow system was also tested in the field, in Tzabalho, Chiapas (Mexico), and Antioquia (Colombia), with spiked MS2 into natural surface water. This investigation opens a potential application to monitor the performance of UVC systems with surface water by monitoring transmittance at 254 nm as a tool to control UVC domestic systems to deliver safe drinking water in a household without the need of expensive and laborious biological monitoring tools. [Abstract copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.]",

keywords = "Disinfection, Experimental factorial design, Humic acids, Kaolinite, MS2-bacteriophage, Ultraviolet Rays, Levivirus, Water Purification, Drinking Water",

author = "Veronica Baldasso and Helen Lubarsky and Natalia Pichel and Andrea Turolla and Manuela Antonelli and Margarita Hincapie and Liliana Botero and Fermin Reygadas and Ane Galdos-Balzategui and J.A. Byrne and Pilar Fernandez-Iba{\~n}ez",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) UK Research and Innovation (SAFEWATER; EPSRC Grant Reference EP/P032427/1 ) and the Royal Society – International Collaboration Awards 2020 (ICA/R1/201373). The authors acknowledge the Agricultural Microbiology Laboratory of ECOSUR (San Cristobal, Chiapas) for allowing the microbiological analysis performance in their facilities. Funding Information: This work was supported by the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) UK Research and Innovation (SAFEWATER; EPSRC Grant Reference EP/P032427/1) and the Royal Society ? International Collaboration Awards 2020 (ICA/R1/201373). The authors acknowledge the Agricultural Microbiology Laboratory of ECOSUR (San Cristobal, Chiapas) for allowing the microbiological analysis performance in their facilities. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 Copyright {\textcopyright} 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.",

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doi = "10.1016/j.watres.2021.117496",

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AU - Baldasso, Veronica

AU - Lubarsky, Helen

AU - Pichel, Natalia

AU - Turolla, Andrea

AU - Antonelli, Manuela

AU - Hincapie, Margarita

AU - Botero, Liliana

AU - Reygadas, Fermin

AU - Galdos-Balzategui, Ane

AU - Byrne, J.A.

AU - Fernandez-Ibañez, Pilar

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) UK Research and Innovation (SAFEWATER; EPSRC Grant Reference EP/P032427/1 ) and the Royal Society – International Collaboration Awards 2020 (ICA/R1/201373). The authors acknowledge the Agricultural Microbiology Laboratory of ECOSUR (San Cristobal, Chiapas) for allowing the microbiological analysis performance in their facilities. Funding Information: This work was supported by the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) UK Research and Innovation (SAFEWATER; EPSRC Grant Reference EP/P032427/1) and the Royal Society ? International Collaboration Awards 2020 (ICA/R1/201373). The authors acknowledge the Agricultural Microbiology Laboratory of ECOSUR (San Cristobal, Chiapas) for allowing the microbiological analysis performance in their facilities. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

PY - 2021/9/15

Y1 - 2021/9/15

N2 - UVC disinfection has been recognised by the WHO as an effective disinfection treatment to provide decentralized potable water. Under real conditions there are still unknowns that limit this application including the influence of suspended solids and natural organic matter. This work aims to investigate the influence of two key parameters, suspended solids and natural organic matter, on the efficiency of UVC disinfection of surface water to achieve the drinking water quality requirements established by the WHO for point of use (POU) technologies. Kaolinite (turbidity agent) and humic acids (HA, model of organic matter) were used in a factorial design of experiments (Turbidity from 0 to 5 NTU, and HA from 0 to 3.5 mg/L) to investigate their effect on UVC inactivation of MS2 phage in surface water. A collimated beam (12 W) and a commercial UVC disinfection flow system (16 W) designed to provide drinking water at households were used. The UVC flow system both in the laboratory and in the field was able to achieve the reduction requirements established by WHO (LRV >3.5 for all tested conditions), confirming the good performance of the studied UVC disinfection system. The results found in the lab were used to establish a numerical model that predicts the disinfection rate constant as a function of water turbidity and transmittance at 254 nm (confidence level>95%). The model permitted to elucidate the critical effect of low concentrations of HA in reducing the inactivation rate by 40% for 3.5 mg/L-HA compared with 0, the non-significant detrimental effect of turbidity lower than 5 NTU, and the lack of synergistic effects between both parameters at these levels. The UVC flow system was also tested in the field, in Tzabalho, Chiapas (Mexico), and Antioquia (Colombia), with spiked MS2 into natural surface water. This investigation opens a potential application to monitor the performance of UVC systems with surface water by monitoring transmittance at 254 nm as a tool to control UVC domestic systems to deliver safe drinking water in a household without the need of expensive and laborious biological monitoring tools. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.]

AB - UVC disinfection has been recognised by the WHO as an effective disinfection treatment to provide decentralized potable water. Under real conditions there are still unknowns that limit this application including the influence of suspended solids and natural organic matter. This work aims to investigate the influence of two key parameters, suspended solids and natural organic matter, on the efficiency of UVC disinfection of surface water to achieve the drinking water quality requirements established by the WHO for point of use (POU) technologies. Kaolinite (turbidity agent) and humic acids (HA, model of organic matter) were used in a factorial design of experiments (Turbidity from 0 to 5 NTU, and HA from 0 to 3.5 mg/L) to investigate their effect on UVC inactivation of MS2 phage in surface water. A collimated beam (12 W) and a commercial UVC disinfection flow system (16 W) designed to provide drinking water at households were used. The UVC flow system both in the laboratory and in the field was able to achieve the reduction requirements established by WHO (LRV >3.5 for all tested conditions), confirming the good performance of the studied UVC disinfection system. The results found in the lab were used to establish a numerical model that predicts the disinfection rate constant as a function of water turbidity and transmittance at 254 nm (confidence level>95%). The model permitted to elucidate the critical effect of low concentrations of HA in reducing the inactivation rate by 40% for 3.5 mg/L-HA compared with 0, the non-significant detrimental effect of turbidity lower than 5 NTU, and the lack of synergistic effects between both parameters at these levels. The UVC flow system was also tested in the field, in Tzabalho, Chiapas (Mexico), and Antioquia (Colombia), with spiked MS2 into natural surface water. This investigation opens a potential application to monitor the performance of UVC systems with surface water by monitoring transmittance at 254 nm as a tool to control UVC domestic systems to deliver safe drinking water in a household without the need of expensive and laborious biological monitoring tools. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.]

KW - Disinfection

KW - Experimental factorial design

KW - Humic acids

KW - Kaolinite

KW - MS2-bacteriophage

KW - Ultraviolet Rays

KW - Levivirus

KW - Water Purification

KW - Drinking Water

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DO - 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117496

M3 - Article

C2 - 34399246

SN - 0043-1354

VL - 203

SP - 117496

JO - Water Research

JF - Water Research

M1 - 117496

ER -

UVC inactivation of MS2-phage in drinking water – Modelling and field testing

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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