Waterborne pathogens are a leading cause of disease and death worldwide. Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation is an effective method of drinking water treatment through the destruction of cells at the molecular level. Throughput capacity per unit volume of the UV unit is a major driver of the treatment process. In this study, we developed a microscale-based reactor in combination with UV radiation to determine the inactivation efficacy of bacteriophage MS2 and Escherichia coli. Using the microscale-based reactor, we achieved inactivation of more than 7 log colony forming units per mL of E. coli by 8 s and removal of more than 7.5 log plaque forming units per mL of bacteriophage MS2 by 8 min residence times. These values meet and surpass the standards set by the U.S.-Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization for drinking water treatment technologies. Results from mathematical modeling suggest that the best fit model is obtained when we assume that more than a single photon directly damages E. coli cells and allows a transitional damaged state or further inactivation by additional photons. The successful application of a point-of-use UV water disinfection device to inactivate pathogens creates new opportunities for household and commercial water treatment globally.

中文翻译：

---

饮用水中的病原体灭活：具有紫外线照射的使用点微型反应器

水传播病原体是全世界疾病和死亡的主要原因。紫外线 (UV) 照射是通过在分子水平上破坏细胞来处理饮用水的有效方法。紫外线装置每单位体积的处理能力是处理过程的主要驱动力。在这项研究中，我们开发了一种结合紫外线辐射的微型反应器，以确定噬菌体 MS2 和大肠杆菌的灭活效果。使用基于微型的反应器，我们实现了每毫升大肠杆菌中超过 7 个对数菌落形成单位的灭活8 秒，每毫升噬菌体 MS2 去除超过 7.5 个对数噬菌斑形成单位，停留时间为 8 分钟。这些值达到并超过了美国环境保护署和世界卫生组织为饮用水处理技术制定的标准。数学模型的结果表明，当我们假设一个以上的光子直接损伤大肠杆菌细胞并允许过渡性损伤状态或由额外的光子进一步失活时，可以获得最佳拟合模型。使用点紫外线水消毒装置成功应用于灭活病原体，为全球家庭和商业水处理创造了新的机会。