Water scarcity is a problem that faces many regions of the country, and as treated water is considered as an option for drinking water, the quality of water going to the public for consumption will be, obviously, under scrutiny. In September of this year, Yanyan Zhang, a civil engineering Assistant Professor at New Mexico State University, received a three-year grant from the US Department of Health & Human Services/National Institutes of Health, “to evaluate if commonly used disinfection processes are effective in keeping the water supply pathogen-free and safe.”[1]
According to Zhang, the processes used for disinfecting water (chlorination, ozonation and UV radiation) are effective in removing bacteria; however, she states, “Few studies have focused on what happens with the remaining bacteria. Surviving microorganisms after disinfection are the main risk and they can be environmentally transmitted to humans through potable reuse, agriculture irrigation and groundwater recharge.”[2]
Her research will compare untreated water and treated water for the types and amounts of microbes found, and she will look specifically at whether the microbes found become more resistant once treated, and therefore, more dangerous to humans. Zhang reported that early research indicates that disinfection at low amounts does, in fact, “increase the number of antibiotic resistant bacteria,” and that “the bacteria can develop a small piece of genes that encode resistance to antibiotics and can spread to other cells.”[3]
Zhang plans to use the outcomes of her research to not only better understand and optimize disinfection processes in water treatment, but also to carry that knowledge into food and medical practices.
[1] Fresques, Linda. “Civil Engineer to Evaluate Effectiveness of Water Disinfection Treatments.” Las Cruces Sun-News, Las Cruces Sun-News, 1 Dec. 2018, www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/education/nmsu/2018/12/01/civil-engineer-evaluate-effectiveness-water-disinfection/2167547002/.
[2] Fresques, Linda. “Civil Engineer to Evaluate Effectiveness of Water Disinfection Treatments.” Las Cruces Sun-News, Las Cruces Sun-News, 1 Dec. 2018, www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/education/nmsu/2018/12/01/civil-engineer-evaluate-effectiveness-water-disinfection/2167547002/.
[3] Fresques, Linda. “Civil Engineer to Evaluate Effectiveness of Water Disinfection Treatments.” Las Cruces Sun-News, Las Cruces Sun-News, 1 Dec. 2018, www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/education/nmsu/2018/12/01/civil-engineer-evaluate-effectiveness-water-disinfection/2167547002/.
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