Evaluation Of A Green and Sustainable MULTI-Barrier WATER Treatment System For Removal Of B. Globigii In WATER

Development of greener water treatment technologies is important for the production of safe drinking water and also for homeland security applications such as decontamination. Clean water plays a critical role in protecting human health.  The approach used by the water industry to provide safe drinking water and prevent outbreaks of waterborne diseases involves the concept of multiple barrier treatment system. Disinfection is usually the final step of treatment before consumption, and chlorine is widely used as disinfectant. The use of sodium hypochlorite as the source of chlorine is economical but results in toxic chlorinated disinfection byproducts and generates a large quantity of sodium ions that affect vegetation. Technologies incorporating alternatives to chlorination represent a green and sustainable approach in the multi-barrier system of drinking water treatment. There is considerable interest in evaluating the efficacy of disinfectants for the treatment of B. anthracis spores or suitable surrogates that are highly resistant to disinfection. Virulent strains of B. anthracis require secure containment for handling and analysis. Therefore, experimental investigations for this species are often conducted using surrogates such as B.globigii. This study presents the results and findings of B. globigii challenges conducted on a multi-barrier system that includes a charged membrane filter (CMF) and an ultraviolet (UV) system. The CMF was evaluated at clean, half life and end of life (EOL) conditions along with 100% UV transmittance (UVT).  The UV system was also evaluated as a standalone system at 100% and 70% intensity. The performance of the multi-barrier system and the standalone UV unit provided more than 6.0 log removal of B.globigii. The testing was conducted at the U.S. EPA’s Test and Evaluation (T&E) Facility in Cincinnati, Ohio.