Water Disinfection, Byproduct Chemistry, and Pathogen Control
This community investigates the chemical and biological processes used to make drinking water safe, specifically focusing on how disinfectants interact with organic matter to create byproducts and how pathogens develop resistance to these treatments.
The work centers on the application of chlorine, sodium hypochlorite, chlorine dioxide, and advanced oxidation processes to drinking water and wastewater systems. A major focus is the formation and toxicity of disinfection byproducts resulting from reactions with dissolved organic matter. Significant attention is also paid to the survival and resistance mechanisms of specific pathogens, including Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus, particularly within biofilms. Research frequently evaluates the efficacy of alternative disinfectants such as hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, and quaternary ammonium compounds, while also examining the role of activated carbon and stainless steel infrastructure in maintaining water quality and preventing contamination.
The largest share of the community's output is found in chlorine research, accounting for 3.3% of all chlorine research, with 7,466 papers in this group. Bromine research follows with a 2.9% share, and iodine research with a 1.0% share.
The community comprises 25,482 papers, publishing most frequently in Water Research, Journal of Water Process Engineering, and Environmental Science & Technology.
Recent work continues to focus on the toxicogenomics of disinfection byproducts, the development of phage cocktails to combat antibiotic resistance, and the application of emerging technologies like nanobubbles and far-UVC photolysis to improve treatment efficiency and reduce membrane fouling.