Feasibility of the silver-UV process for drinking water disinfection

Ultrasonic degradation of nitrosodipropylamine (NDPA) and nitrosodibutylamine (NDBA) in water

Nitrosodipropylamine (NDPA) and nitrosodibutylamine (NDBA), two highly toxics and carcinogenic disinfection by-products, cannot be efficiently removed by conventional water treatment processes, while the ultrasound treatment was developed as a promising alternative. In this work, nitrosodipropylamine (NDPA) and nitrosodibutylamine (NDBA) are degraded by ultrasound treatment. Greater than 99% of NDPA and NDBA mixing solution could be decomposed within 60 min at neutral pH under optimal ultrasound power and frequency settings of 100 W and 600 kHz, respectively. Free radical reactions (OH•) played a significant role and the reaction sites were predominately at the bubble interface. The degradation of both NDPA and NDBA exhibited pseudo-first-order degradation kinetics, and the rate constant k_app was influenced by a number of factors including ultrasonic frequency, power, initial concentration, initial pH, various anions and cations frequently present in drinking water, hydroxyl radical scavengers, and water matrices, especially the promoting effect of various anions and cations and water matrices. The results of this study suggest the potential for ultrasound treatment as a method for removing NAms from water.

Efficacy of copper and silver as residual disinfectants in drinking water

Contamination events and biofilms can decrease the amount of free chlorine available in drinking water systems. The efficacy of 100 μg/L silver and 400 μg/L copper, individually and combined, were evaluated as secondary, longer-lasting residual disinfectants against Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Mycobacterium fortuitum at 24 °C and 4 °C. A >5.0-log₁₀ reduction was observed in E. coli and L. monocytogenes after three hours and S. Typhimurium following seven hours of exposure to silver. M. fortuitum was the most resistant species to silver (1.11-log₁₀ after seven hours). Copper did not significantly reduce S. Typhimurium and E. coli at 24 °C; ≥2.80-log₁₀ reductions were observed in the Gram-positive L. monocytogenes and M. fortuitum. Longer exposure times were required at 4 °C to achieve significant reductions in all species. A synergistic effect was observed when silver and copper were combined at 24 °C. In addition, silver was not affected by the presence of organic matter at concentrations that completely inhibited 0.2 mg/L chlorine. The results of this study suggest that combinations of silver and copper show promise as secondary residual disinfectants. They may also be used in conjunction with low chlorine levels or other disinfectants to provide additional, long-lasting residuals in distribution systems.

Synergistic bactericidal effect by combined exposure to Ag nanoparticles and UVA

Broad and strong antimicrobial properties of silver (Ag) have been used for biomedical applications, water treatment, etc. In this study, a synergistic antibacterial effect between Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) and ultraviolet (UV) light was examined. AgNPs (<0.1 μm) with subsequent exposure to UVA (320-400 nm) showed pronounced toxicity in Escherichia coli, but micro-sized Ag particles (>1 μm) with UVA and AgNPs with UVB (280-325 nm) did not. As significant bactericidal activity was also exhibited by hydrogen peroxide-treated AgNPs, the surface oxidation of AgNPs caused by UVA irradiation was considered to contribute to the enhanced antibacterial effect. Although no difference in NP-incorporation rates was observed with or without the surface oxidation of AgNPs, a particle size of less than 0.1 μm was a factor for AgNPs uptake and an essential requirement for the antimicrobial function of Ag particles. Incorporated AgNPs oxidized by UVA irradiation released larger amounts of Ag ion inside cells than reduced AgNPs, which reacted with intercellular molecules having -SH groups such as glutathione. The synergistic use of AgNPs and UVA could become a powerful tool with broad antimicrobial applications.

Factors affecting ultraviolet irradiation/hydrogen peroxide (UV/H2O2) degradation of mixed N-nitrosamines in water

Disinfection by-products (DBPs) are a great challenge to our drinking water security. Particularly, nitrosamines (NAms), as emerging DBPs, are potently carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic, and have increasingly attained public attention. This study was to evaluate the performance of the NAms degradation by the ultraviolet (UV) irradiation (253.7 nm) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)). In the UV/H(2)O(2) system, hydroxyl radicals (OH), a type of nonselective and powerful oxidant, was produced to attack the molecules of NAms. Factors affecting the treatment efficiency, including the H(2)O(2) dosage, initial NAms concentration, UV irradiation intensity, initial solution pH, and inorganic anions present in water, were evaluated. All the NAms degradation exhibited a pseudo-first-order kinetics pattern. Within 60 min, 0.1 mg/L of any NAms could be almost decomposed except NDPhA that required 120 min for complete removal, at 25 μmol/L H(2)O(2) and at initial pH 7. Results demonstrate that the UV/H(2)O(2) treatment is a viable option to control NAms in water.

Enhanced inactivation of E. coli and MS-2 phage by silver ions combined with UV-A and visible light irradiation

Silver ions have been widely used as an effective water disinfectant or antimicrobial material for many decades. In addition, the application of silver ions in combination with other biocides, especially UV(254) (UV-C) irradiation, was reported to be effective in enhancing its germicidal activity. However, it is not yet known how UV-A (300-400 nm) or visible light irradiation, which have little or no antimicrobial activities, affect microorganism inactivation by silver ions. This study newly reports that the inactivation efficiencies of Escherichia coli and MS-2 phage by silver ions were significantly enhanced by UV-A or visible light irradiation. UV-A irradiation enhanced the inactivation of E. coli and MS-2 phage by 3.0 and 2.5 log/30 min, respectively, as compared with the simple summated value of individual applications of silver ions and UV-A. A similar trend was observed with visible light irradiation (>400 nm) although the level of enhancement was lessened. The photochemical reaction of silver-cysteine complex was suggested as a possible mechanism for this enhancement. Spectrophotometric and MALDI-TOF mass analyses support the fact that silver ions coupled with light irradiation causes critical cell damage through the complexation of silver ions with thiol (-SH) groups in structural or enzymatic proteins of the microorganisms and their subsequent photochemical destruction.