ClO2 Disinfection Research Articles

Disinfection-residual bacteria (DRB) after chlorine dioxide treatment: Microbial community structure, regrowth potential, and secretion characteristics

This study investigates the effects of chlorine dioxide (ClO2) disinfection on the community structure, regrowth potential, and metabolic product secretion of disinfection-residual bacteria (DRB) in secondary effluent (SE), denitrification filter effluent (DFE), and ultrafiltration effluent (UE). Results show that ClO2 effectively reduces bacteria in SE and UE, achieving log removal values exceeding 3 at 1 mg/L within 30 min. A salient positive correlation (R2 > 0.95) exists between changes in total fluorescence intensity and disinfection efficacy. Post-treatment, Acinetobacter abundance increased in SE, while Pseudomonas decreased in DFE and UE. At lower ClO2 concentrations, Staphylococcus, Mycobacterium, Aeromonas, and Lactobacillus increased in DFE, but decreased at higher concentrations. After storage, bacterial counts in disinfected samples exceeded those in the control group, surpassing 105 CFU/mL. Despite an initial decline, species richness and evenness partially recovered but remained lower than control levels. Culturing DRB for 72 h showed elevated extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) secretion, quantified as total organic carbon (TOC), ranging from 5 to 27 mg/L, with significantly higher EPS in the disinfection group. Parallel factor analysis with self-organizing maps (PARAFAC-SOM) effectively differentiated water sample types and EPS fluorescent substances, underscoring the potential of three-dimensional fluorescence as an indirect measure of ClO2 disinfection efficacy.

Comparison of chlorine and chlorine dioxide disinfection in drinking water: Evaluation of disinfection byproduct formation under equal disinfection efficiency

Disinfection efficiency and disinfection byproduct (DBP) formation are two important aspects deserving careful consideration when evaluating different disinfection protocols. However, most of the previous studies on the selection of disinfection methods by comparing DBP formation were carried out under the same initial/residual dose and contact time of different disinfectants, and such a practice may cause overdose or underdose of a certain disinfectant, leading to the inaccurate evaluation of disinfection. In this study, a comprehensive and quantitative comparison of chlorine (Cl2) and chlorine dioxide (ClO2) disinfection was conducted with regard to their DBP formation under equal disinfection efficiency. The microbial inactivation models as well as the Cl2 and ClO2 demand models were developed. On such basis, the integral CT (ICT) values were determined and used as a bridge to connect disinfection efficiency and DBP formation. For 3-log10 and 4-log10 reductions of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, ClO2 had 1.5 and 5.8 times higher inactivation ability than Cl2, respectively. In the premise of equal disinfection efficiency (i.e., the ICT ratios of Cl2 to ClO2 = 1.5 and 5.8), the levels of total organic chlorine, total organic bromine, and total organic halogen formed in the Cl2 disinfection were significantly higher than those formed in the ClO2 disinfection. Among the 35 target aliphatic DBPs, trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) were the dominant species formed in both Cl2 and ClO2 disinfection. The total THM levels formed in Cl2 disinfection were 14.6 and 30.3 times higher than those in ClO2 disinfection, respectively. The total HAA levels formed in Cl2 disinfection were 3.5 and 5.4 times higher than those in ClO2 disinfection, respectively. Formation of the target 48 aromatic DBPs was much favored in Cl2 disinfection than that in ClO2 disinfection, and the formation levels was dominated by contact time. This study demonstrated that ClO2 had significant advantages over Cl2, especially at higher microorganism inactivation and lower DBP formation requirements.

Phthalate acid esters promoted the enrichment of chlorine dioxide-resistant bacteria and their functions related to human diseases in rural polyvinyl chloride distribution pipes

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes are widely used as drinking water distribution pipes in rural areas of China. However, whether phthalate acid esters (PAEs) released from PVC pipes will affect tap water quality is still unknown. The influence of released PAEs on the water quality was analysed in this study, especially after ClO2 disinfection. The results indicated that ClO2 disinfection could control the growth of total coliforms and heterotrophic bacteria (HPC). However, when the ClO2 residual decreased to below 0.10 mg/L, HPC and opportunistic pathogens, including Mycobacterium avium and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, increased significantly. In addition, after ClO2 disinfection, PAEs concentrations increased from 10.6–22.2 μg/L to 21.2–58.8 μg/L in different sampling cites. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) and statistical analysis of metagenomic profiles (Stamp) showed that ClO2 disinfection induced the enrichment of Pseudomonas, Bradyrhizobium, and Mycobacterium and functions related to human diseases, such as pathogenic Escherichia coli infection, shigellosis, Staphylococcus aureus infection, and Vibrio cholerae infection. The released PAEs not only promoted the growth of these ClO2-resistant bacterial genera but also enhanced their functions related to human diseases. Moreover, these PAEs also induced the enrichment of other bacterial genera, such as Blastomonas, Dechloromonas, and Kocuria, and their functions, such as chronic myeloid leukaemia, African trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, hepatitis C and human T-cell leukaemia virus 1 infection. The released PAEs enhanced the microbial risk of the drinking water. These results are meaningful for guaranteeing water quality in rural areas of China.

Changes in molecular dissolved organic matter during coagulation/sedimentation and chlorine and chlorine dioxide disinfection by non-target (or unknown) screening analysis

River water is a major water supply source, and its quality is strongly affected by seasonal changes in dissolved organic matter (DOM) and anthropogenic discharge. This study uses unknown screening analysis with Orbitrap mass spectrometry to investigate differences in molecular DOM in upstream and downstream areas of Phong River, Thailand, in addition to changes caused by coagulation/sedimentation, disinfection byproducts (DBPs), and formation by chlorine (Cl2) and chlorine dioxide (ClO2) in the dry season and after the first rainfall in the wet season. Among 2000 DOM features in the river, DOM with carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (CHO features) was the most abundant class followed by CHO features with other heteroatoms such as N, NS, and S. CHO features with a relatively higher degree of oxidation (high carbon oxidation state, Cos) and highly oxygenated (high oxygen to carbon ratio, O/C) characteristics decreased preferentially via coagulation and sedimentation by polyaluminium chloride. Approximately 130 Cl-containing (CHOCl) features increased or were newly formed after Cl2 and ClO2 disinfection, respectively. Only 14 Cl2-CHOCl and four ClO2-CHOCl features were commonly formed in all water samples, while many unique DBPs were identified in each disinfection; therefore, reactions of unique DBP precursors in each water sample can produce unique DBPs. Additionally, around 100 CHO DBPs were also found after both Cl2 and ClO2 disinfection. Both Cl2 and ClO2 selectively reacted with CHO features with a relatively higher degree of oxidation (high Cos). Cl2 disinfection produced more oxygenated (high O/C) and oxidized (Cos) DBPs than ClO2 disinfection. Several hundred DBP precursors of Cl2 electrophilic substitution were found not only from natural sources but also from wastewater discharge or runoff.

Mycoselectivity of Mushroom Compost and Surfaces, Disinfected with Gas Chlorine Dioxide

In order to limit losses in mushroom cultivation, various methods and measures are used to prevent the development of pathogens. However, frequently occurs the effective disinfection does not result directly a positive response in the form of increased yielding or at least reduction of the problems of infections with green mould or bubble diseases. The studies presented in this paper show that even with a relatively high level of inoculation of phase II compost containing Trichoderma aggressivum (105/cm3), significantly exceeding the potential intensity of natural infections, Agaricus bisporus remained dominant in the environment. On the other hand, an excessive disinfection disturbed this balance in favor of the more disinfectant-resistant pathogen. High efficacy of the innovative gas ClO2 disinfection, at the applied balance concentration 1000 ppm (m/m) was determined on the surfaces of the cultivation hall. However, the study demonstrates that effective disinfection of compost may give the effects of weakening of mushroom spawn mycelium and domination of its environment by the competing pathogens.

Characterization of enoxacin (ENO) during ClO2 disinfection in water distribution system: Kinetics, byproducts, toxicity evaluation and halogenated disinfection byproducts (DBPs) formation potential

Enoxacin (ENO) is widespread in water because it is commonly used as a human and veterinary antibiotic. However, little effort has been dedicated to revealing the transformation mechanisms of ENO destruction using ClO2, especially within a water distribution system (WDS). To address this knowledge gap, the kinetics, byproducts, toxicity, and formation potential of halogenated disinfection byproducts (DBPs) associated with ENO destruction using ClO2 in a pilot-scale PE pipe was explored for the first time. Statistical analyses showed that the destruction efficiency of ENO in the pilot-scale PE pipe was lower than that in deionized water (DI water), and the reactions in DI water followed the second-order kinetic model. Furthermore, pH has a significant effect on the destruction of ENO, and the removal ratio increased at a higher pH. Additionally, increasing the flow rate elevated the ENO removal efficiency; however, the influence of flow velocity was limited to ENO destruction. The ENO removal rates within the diverse pipes exhibited the following order: stainless steel pipe < PE pipe < ductile iron pipe. Nine possible intermediates were identified, and those that were formed by piperazine group cleavage represented the major primary byproducts of the entire destruction process. Additionally, the ENO destruction in a pilot-scale PE pipe had minimal influence on halogenated DBPs and chlorite formation. Finally, the toxicity evaluation illustrated that the presence of ENO increased the potential risk of water quality safety when treated with ClO2.

Micropollutant abatement and byproduct formation during the co-exposure of chlorine dioxide (ClO2) and UVC radiation

Photolysis of ClO2 by UVC radiation occurs in several drinking water treatment scenarios (e.g., pre-oxidation by ClO2 with post-UVC disinfection or a multi-barrier disinfection system comprising ClO2 and UVC disinfection in sequence). However, whether micropollutants are degraded and undesired byproducts are formed during the co-exposure of ClO2 and UVC radiation remain unclear. This study demonstrated that four micropollutants (trimethoprim, iopromide, caffeine, and ciprofloxacin) were degraded by 14.4–100.0% during the co-exposure of ClO2 and UVC radiation in the synthetic drinking water under the environmentally relevant conditions (UV dose of 207 mJ cm−2, ClO2 dose of 1.35 mg L−1, and pH of 7.0). Trimethoprim and iopromide were predominantly degraded by ClO2 oxidation and direct UVC photolysis, respectively. Caffeine and ciprofloxacin were predominantly degraded by the radicals (HO• and Cl•) and the in-situ formed free chlorine from ClO2 photolysis, respectively. The yields of total organic chlorine (12.5 µg L−1 from 1.0 mg C L−1 of NOM) and chlorate (0.14 mg L−1 From 1.35 mg L−1 of ClO2) during the co-exposure were low. However, the yield of chlorite was high (0.76 mg L−1 from 1.35 mg L−1 of ClO2), which requires attention and control.

Effects of Chlorine Dioxide Disinfection on the Profile of the Super Antibiotic Resistance Genes in a Wastewater Treatment Plant

In order to study the effects of chlorine dioxide (ClO2) disinfection on the super antibiotic resistance genes (SARGs), the final effluents before and after chlorine dioxide were sampled throughout one year in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The bacteria and extracellular nucleic acid were collected using microporous membrane filtration and nucleic acid adsorption particles, respectively. A total of 9 SARGs was detected through a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The results revealed that both intracellular and extracellular NDM-1, MCR-1, and MEC-A could be positively detected in the samples. Overall, ClO2 disinfection enhanced the relative abundance of the iSARGs (P<0.05), exhibiting a seasonal pattern, and increasing in the spring, summer, and autumn. In spring, it improved the most, up to twice the abundance. No SARGs were detected positive in the winter, either intracellularly or extracellularly. There was no significant variation in the concentrations of eSARGs before and after ClO2 disinfection. Therefore, ClO2 disinfection cannot effectively remove iSARGs and eSARGs in the final effluent from the WWTP.

Kinetics and Mechanisms of Virus Inactivation by Chlorine Dioxide in Water Treatment: A Review.

Chlorine dioxide (ClO2), an alternative disinfectant to chlorine, has been widely applied in water and wastewater disinfection. This paper aims at presenting an overview of the inactivation kinetics and mechanisms of ClO2 with viruses. The inactivation efficiencies vary greatly among different virus species. The inactivation rates for different serotypes within a family of viruses can differ by over 284%. Generally, to achieve a 4-log removal, the exposure doses, also being referred to as Ct values (mutiplying the concentration of ClO2 and contact time) vary in the range of 0.06–10 mg L−1 min. Inactivation kinetics of viruses show two phases: an initial rapid inactivation phase followed by a tailing phase. Inactivation rates of viruses increase as pH or temperature increases, but show different trends with increasing concentrations of dissolved organic matter (DOM). Both damages in viral proteins and in the 5′ noncoding region within the genome contribute to virus inactivation upon ClO2 disinfection.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00128-021-03137-3.

Rapid in situ determination of ClO2 in drinking water by improved solid DPD spectrophotometry

This research aims to realize the rapid detection of ClO2 content in drinking water by adopting improved solid DPD. This method is fast and convenient with low cost and less waste liquid. The results show that this method has good precision and sensitivity. The linear correlation coefficients of the cubic regression equation were all greater than 0.999. The detection limit of the method was 0.002mg/L ClO2. The relative standard deviations (RSD) of seven parallel tests were between 1.37% and 8.87%, and the relative errors were small. The recovery rate was 96.67~110%. The method could be used for the direct determination of water samples with a mass concentration of 0.02mg/L~2.00mg/L in drinking water after ClO2 disinfection.

Effects of reductive inorganics and NOM on the formation of chlorite in the chlorine dioxide disinfection of drinking water

Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) disinfection usually does not produce halogenated disinfection by-products, but the formation of the inorganic by-product chlorite (ClO2–) is a serious consideration. In this study, the ClO2– formation rule in the ClO2 disinfection of drinking water was investigated in the presence of three representative reductive inorganics and four natural organic matters (NOMs), respectively. Fe2+ and S2– mainly reduced ClO2 to ClO2– at low concentrations. When ClO2 was consumed, the ClO2– would be further reduced by Fe2+ and S2–, leading to the decrease of ClO2–. The reaction efficiency of Mn2+ with ClO2 was lower than that of Fe2+ and S2–. It might be the case that MnO2 generated by the reaction between Mn2+ and ClO2 had adsorption and catalytic oxidation on Mn2+. However, Mn2+ would not reduce ClO2–. Among the four NOMs, humic acid and fulvic acid reacted with ClO2 actively, followed by bovine serum albumin, while sodium alginate had almost no reaction with ClO2. The maximum ClO2– yields of reductive inorganics (70%) was higher than that of NOM (around 60%). The lower the concentration of reductive substances, the more ClO2– could be produced by per unit concentration of reductive substances. The results of the actual water samples showed that both reductive inorganics and NOM played an important role in the formation of ClO2– in disinfection.

Simultaneous removal of chlorite and contaminants of emerging concern under UV photolysis: Hydroxyl radicals vs. chlorate formation

It is well known that using chlorine dioxide (ClO2) as a disinfectant inevitably produces a common disinfection byproducts chlorite (ClO2‒). In this study, we found that UV photolysis after ClO2 disinfection can effectively eliminate both ClO2‒ and contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). However, the kinetic mechanisms of UV/ClO2‒ process destructing CECs, as well as transformation of ClO2‒ in UV/ClO2‒ system are not clear yet. Therefore, we systematically investigated the UV/ClO2‒ system to assist us appropriately design this process under optimal operational conditions. In this work, we first investigated the impact of water matrix conditions (i.e., pH, bicarbonate and natural organic matter (NOM)) and ClO2‒ dosage on the UV/ClO2‒ process. We found that bicarbonate and NOM have inhibition effects, while lower pH and higher ClO2‒ dosage have enhancement effects. Besides, hydroxyl radical (HO•) and reactive chlorine species (RCS) are generated from UV/ClO2‒ system, and RCS are main contributors to CBZ degradation. Then we proposed a possible degradation pathway of CBZ based on the determined products from experiments. Additionally, we found that photolysis of ClO2‒ resulted in the generation of chloride (Cl‒) and chlorate (ClO3‒). As the ClO2‒ dosage increases, the yield of ClO3‒ increased while that of Cl‒ decreased. Finally, we elucidated the second order rate constant of the target organic compound with HO• has a strong correlation with the formation of ClO3‒.

Low chlorine impurity might be beneficial in chlorine dioxide disinfection

Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) is a prevalently used disinfectant alternative to chlorine, due to its effectiveness in pathogen inactivation and low yields of organic halogenated disinfection byproducts (DBPs). However, during ClO2 generation, chlorine is inevitably introduced into the obtained ClO2 solution as an “impurity”, which could compromise the merits of ClO2 disinfection. In this study, drinking water disinfection with ClO2 containing 0‒25% chlorine impurity (i.e., at Cl2 to ClO2 mass ratios of 0‒25%) was simulated, and the effect of chlorine impurity on the DBP formation and developmental toxicity of the finished water was evaluated. With increasing the chlorine impurity in ClO2, the chlorite level kept decreasing and the chlorate level gradually increased; meanwhile, an unexpected trend from decline to rise was observed for the total organic halogenated DBPs, with the minimum level appearing at 5% chlorine impurity. To unravel the mechanisms for the variations of organic halogenated DBPs with chlorine impurity, a quantitative kinetic model was developed to simulate the formation of chlorinated, brominated, and iodinated DBPs in the ClO2-disinfected drinking water. The modeling results indicated that reactions involving iodide accounted for the decrease of organic halogenated DBPs at a relatively low chlorine impurity level. In accordance with DBP formation, ClO2 with 5% chlorine impurity generated less toxic drinking water than pure ClO2, while significantly higher developmental toxicity was induced until the chlorine impurity reached 25%. For E. coli inactivation, the presence of chlorine impurity enhanced the disinfection efficiency due to a synergistic effect of ClO2 and chlorine. Therefore, disinfection practices with ClO2 containing low chlorine impurity (e.g., <10%) might be favored (i.e., there is no need to eliminate low chlorine impurity in the ClO2 solution), while those containing high chlorine impurity should be concerned.

Prevention of nosocomial legionellosis by best water management: comparison of three decontamination methods

Since 2000, the National Health System has adopted international guidelines for assessing Legionella spp. in hospital water systems. The control of water contamination by Legionella spp. is still a matter of research concerning the most effective method in preventing nosocomial infections. To compare three different decontamination methods by monitoring colony-forming unit count and number of hospital-acquired legionellosis cases. A secondary objective was to evaluate the long-term effects of the preventive measures on the water pipes. A protocol was developed for the selection of high-risk sampling sites and for the testing of three disinfection methods over the course of 19 years: hyperchlorination and thermal shock (period A, 2000-2005); copper-silver ionization (period B, 2006-2010); and integration of pre-filtering, filtering, pipe-protecting products, and remote control with chlorine dioxide (ClO2) (period C, 2011-2018). The use of shock disinfection and hyperchlorination led to a decrease in contamination level immediately after the procedure, but then it rose again to the previous level in two months. Both copper-silver ionization and ClO2 disinfection showed a stable and durable decrease in contamination level. Throughout these three phases, six cases of Legionella spp. occurred during period A, six cases during period B, and three cases during period C. With regard to the damage of water pipes, effective copper-silver levels caused corrosion and calcification in water pipes. Both copper-silver ionization and ClO2 properly controlled Legionella spp. contamination. ClO2 significantly reduced the number of positive sites (P < 0.001) without damaging the pipelines.

Volatile organic chloramines formation during ClO2 treatment

Volatile organic chloramines are reported as the disinfection byproducts during chlorination or chloramination. However, ClO2, as an important alternative disinfectant for chlorine, was not considered to produce halogenated amines. In the present work, volatile organic chloramines including (CH3)2NCl and CH3NCl2 were found to be generated during the reaction of ClO2 and the dye pollutants. (CH3)2NCl was the dominant volatile DBP to result from ClO2 treated all four dye pollutants including Methyl Orange, Methyl Red, Methylene Blue and Malachite Green, with molar yields ranging from 2.6% to 38.5% at a ClO2 to precursor (ClO2/P) molar ratio of 10. HOCl was identified and proved to be the reactive species for the formation of (CH3)2NCl, which implied (CH3)2NCl was transformed by a combined oxidation of ClO2 and hypochlorous acid. (CH3)2NCl concentrations in the ppb range were observed when real water samples were treated by ClO2 in the presence of the dye pollutants. The results suggest that these azo dyes are one of the significant precursors for the formation of HOCl during ClO2 treatment and that organic chloramines should be considered in ClO2 disinfection chemistry and water treatment.

Revealing the changes of bacterial community from water source to consumers tap: A full-scale investigation in eastern city of China

This study profiled the bacterial community variations of water from four water treatment systems, including coagulation, sedimentation, sand filtration, ozonation-biological activated carbon filtration (O3-BAC), disinfection, and the tap water after the distribution process in eastern China. The results showed that different water treatment processes affected the bacterial community structure in different ways. The traditional treatment processes, including coagulation, sedimentation and sand filtration, reduced the total bacterial count, while they had little effect on the bacterial community structure in the treated water (before disinfection). Compared to the traditional treatment process, O3-BAC reduced the relative abundance of Sphingomonas in the finished water. In addition, ozonation may play a role in reducing the relative abundance of Mycobacterium. NaClO and ClO2 had different effects on the bacterial community in the finished water. The relative abundance of some bacteria (e.g. Flavobacterium, Phreatobacter and Porphyrobacter) increased in the finished water after ClO2 disinfection. The relative abundance of Mycobacterium and Legionella, which have been widely reported as waterborne opportunistic pathogens, increased after NaClO disinfection. In addition, some microorganisms proliferated and grew in the distribution system, which could lead to turbidity increases in the tap water. Compared to those in the finished water, the relative abundance of Sphingomonas, Hyphomicrobium, Phreatobacter, Rheinheimera, Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter increased in the tap water disinfected with NaClO, while the relative abundance of Mycobacterium increased in the tap water disinfected with ClO2. Overall, this study provided the detailed variation in the bacterial community in the drinking water system.

Rad]OH pre-treatment of algae blooms and degradation of microcystin-LR in a drinking water system of 480 m3/day: Comparison with ClO2

The widespread occurrence of harmful algae blooms in drinking water sources has resulted in significant challenges for safeguarding water bodies globally. During algae bloom outbreaks, an OH drinking water treatment system with a capacity of 480 m3/day, was built in the Xinglin water plant in Xiamen, China. The OH, which was produced using the strong ionization discharge combined with hydrodynamic cavitation effect, was applied in the pre-treatment of algae blooms and degradation of microcystin-LR (MC-LR). Results indicated that OH pre-treatment of 0.88 mg/L inactivated five species of algae from 35,180 to 220 cells/mL during conveying of algae bloom water within 9.8 s, subsequently all remaining living and dead algae were removed by the sand filtration. However, ClO2 pre-treatment existed alive and dead algae of 7830 cells/mL, which could pass through the sand filtration tank into pipe networks. Meanwhile, OH degraded the MC-LR from 14.4 μg/L to ND. Analysis of OH-degraded mechanism indicated that OH could mineralize MC-LR by key opening the benzene ring. With OH pre-treatment and ClO2 disinfection of 0.31 mg/L, no BrO3−, trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids were detected in this system, and all indexes of water quality and DBPs satisfied the Chinese Standards for Drinking Water. Therefore, this OH drinking water treatment system shows great promise for practical applications in the removal of algae blooms and degradation of MC-LR.

Environmental surveillance of Legionella spp. colonization in the water system of a large academic hospital: Analysis of the four–year results on the effectiveness of the chlorine dioxide disinfection method

The prevention of Legionella colonization of water systems is one of the goals of hospital management. Among chemical disinfection methods, chlorine dioxide (ClO2) has been largely used to control Legionella spp. in water systems.We performed a retrospective study to analyse data deriving from the surveillance plan of the water system in a large academic hospital in Rome (Italy) during the period August 2011 and August 2018. We collected the data deriving from the routine water samples used to monitor Legionella spp. colonization. Data from the water samples collected from 163 selected sampling points (hot water tanks, the return loop and distal outlets) was analysed using a life table analysis in order to investigate the duration of the effectiveness of the ClO2 method in eradicating Legionella spp. The colonization of the water sample by Legionella spp. was considered as the outcome. Our results show that in 81,59% of the sampling points Legionella spp. were never detected at four years of follow up. Chemical and physical characteristics of the water were also compared between the samples which were positive for Legionella spp. and those which were not. No association was found between these factors.The knowledge of the duration over time of the effectiveness of the ClO2 disinfection method could support decision-making processes in the framework of Risk Management activities in hospitals.Future studies could also be conducted in hospitals to compare the long-term cost-effectiveness of different Legionella spp. colonization prevention methods.

Degradation behaviors and genetic toxicity variations of pyrazolone pharmaceuticals during chlorine dioxide disinfection process

Pyrazolone pharmaceuticals such as isopropylphenazone (PRP) and aminopyrine (AMP) were commonly used as antipyretic analgesics, and their frequently detection in aquatic environment has become a major concern in recent years. Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) disinfection process has been proved to be a feasible way to degrade antipyrine (ANT), which is the first synthetic pyrazolone pharmaceutical. In this work, the reaction kinetics, degradation pathways and genetic toxicity of PRP and AMP during ClO2 disinfection process were investigated. Experimental results demonstrated that the reaction of both PRP and AMP with ClO2 followed second-order kinetics, the second-order rate constants were calculated to be kapp(PRP) = 11.0 M−1 s−1 and kapp(AMP) = 1.30 × 105 M−1 s−1 at neutral pH. Slightly alkaline environment (pH = 9) was in favor of the reaction. CC double bond and CN bond on pyrazolone ring were main active groups under ClO2 electrophilic attack. The degradation pathways of pyrazolone pharmaceuticals could be concluded as CC cleavage, ring-opening reaction and de-carbonyl reaction. Pyrazolone contaminated water exhibited genetic toxicity according to micronucleus test of Viciafaba root tip, however, the toxicity could be reduced through ClO2 disinfection process.

Efficacy of chlorine dioxide on Escherichia coli inactivation during pilot-scale fresh-cut lettuce processing

Controlling water quality is critical in preventing cross-contamination during fresh produce washing. Process wash water (PWW) quality can be controlled by implementing chemical disinfection strategies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pilot-scale efficacy of chlorine dioxide (ClO2) during processing on the reduction of Escherichia coli in the PWW and on processed fresh-cut ‘Lollo Rossa’ lettuce. The objective was to have a residual target concentration of either 5 or 3 mg/L ClO2 in the washing tank (3.5 m3) before and during 800 kg of lettuce processing (90 min). After 90 min., a nonpathogenic, non-Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) E. coli inoculum from an overnight culture broth (37 °C) was added to the tank resulting in an approximate final level of 106 CFU/mL. PWW and lettuce samples for microbiological and chemical analyses were taken before and after the input and supply halted. ClO2 concentrations quickly decreased after ClO2 input halted, yet a residual concentration of ≥2.5 mg/L and ≥2.1 mg/L ClO2, respectively for 5 and 3 mg/L pilots, was present 12 min after the supply halted. No detectable levels of E. coli (limit of detection 5 log) were determined in the water within 1 min after E. coli was added to the ClO2 containing wash water. Results demonstrated that ClO2 use at the semi-commercial pilot scale was able to reduce the E. coli peak contamination in the PWW. After storage (5 days, 4 °C), background microbial communities (i.e., fluorescent Pseudomonads and total heterotrophic bacteria) grew out on lettuce. Overall, ClO2 decreased the potential for cross-contamination between batches compared to when no sanitizer was used. Chlorate levels of the lettuce sampled before entering the wash water ranged from 7.3–11.6 μg/kg. The chlorate levels of the lettuce sampled after being washed in the ClO2 containing wash water, as well as after rinsing and centrifugation, ranged from 22.8–60.4 μg/kg; chlorite levels ranged from 1.3–1.6 mg/kg, while perchlorate levels were below the limit of quantification (LOQ, <5 ng/g). In this study, we report the semi-commercial pilot-scale evaluation of ClO2, for its ability to maintain the PWW quality and to prevent cross-contamination in the washing tank during fresh-cut lettuce processing. Furthermore, we provide quantitative values of ClO2 disinfection by-products chlorate and chlorite as well as of perchlorate from PWW and/or lettuce samples.