Drinking Water Disinfection, Byproduct Chemistry and Pathogen Control
This community investigates the chemical and biological processes used to purify drinking water and wastewater, focusing on the efficacy of disinfectants like chlorine and the management of the byproducts they create.
The research centers on the interaction between disinfection agents—chlorine dioxide, sodium hypochlorite, peracetic acid, and hydrogen peroxide—and water constituents such as dissolved organic matter. A significant portion of the work examines the formation of disinfection byproducts and their toxicological profiles. Concurrently, the community tracks the inactivation of specific pathogens, including Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus, while analyzing the development of biofilms and the emergence of antibiotic resistance genes in treatment systems. Methods range from conventional chlorination to advanced oxidation processes and the use of activated carbon for contaminant removal.
The largest share of the community's output is found in chlorine research, accounting for 3.1% of all chlorine research, and 7,834 papers here. Bromine research also features prominently, representing 2.5% of that element's tracked literature.
The community comprises 25,737 papers, publishing primarily in Water Research, Environmental Science & Technology, and the Journal of Water Process Engineering.
Recent work continues to focus on the toxicogenomics of long-standing disinfection byproducts, the development of phage cocktails to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and the application of emerging technologies such as nanobubbles and vacuum ultraviolet oxidation for improved water treatment performance.