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Microplastics as potential barriers to ultraviolet light emitting diode inactivation of MS2 bacteriophage: Influence of water-quality parameters
Summary
Researchers investigated whether microplastics in water could interfere with UV-LED disinfection, a common method used to kill viruses in drinking water. They found that PVC microplastics can shield viruses from UV light, reducing disinfection effectiveness, especially at higher microplastic concentrations and under certain water chemistry conditions. The findings suggest that microplastic contamination in water sources may compromise the safety of UV-based water treatment.
Microplastics have emerged as a concerning contaminant in drinking water sources, potentially interacting with pathogenic microorganisms and affecting the disinfection processes. In this study, MS2 was selected as an alternative for the human enteric virus . The influence of microplastics polyvinylchloride (MPs-PVC) on ultraviolet light emitting diode (UV-LED) inactivation of MS2 was investigated under various water chemistry conditions, such as MPs-PVC concentration, pH, salinity , and humic acid concentration. The results revealed that higher concentrations of MPs-PVC led to the reduced inactivation of MS2 by decreased UV transmittance , hindering the disinfection process. Additionally, the inactivation efficiency of MS2 in the presence of MPs-PVC was influenced by pH, and acidic solution (pH at 4, 5, and 6) exhibited higher efficiency compared to alkaline solution (pH at 8 and 9) and neutral solution (pH at 7). The low Na + concentrations (0–50 mM) had a noticeable effect on MS2 inaction efficiency in the presence of MPs-PVC, while the addition of Ca 2+ posed an insignificant effect due to the preferential interaction with MPs-PVC. Furthermore, the inactivation rate of MS2 initially increased and then decreased with increasing the concentration of humic acid , which was significantly different without MPs-PVC. These findings shed light on the complex interactions between MPs-PVC and MS2 in the UV-LED disinfection process under various water-quality parameters, contributing to drinking water safety and treatment. • MPs-PVC could reduce the UV transmittance inhibiting the inactivation of MS2. • The inactivation rate of MS2 was acidic > Alkaline > neutral solution by UV-LED. • High Na + and Ca 2+ intensity limited the effect of MPs-PVC on the MS2 inactivation. • MPs-PVC significantly changed the effect of HA on the inactivation rate of MS2.