Online fluorescence spectroscopy for the real-time evaluation of the microbial quality of drinking water.
Water Res
; 137: 301-309, 2018 06 15.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-29554534
ABSTRACT
We assessed the utility of online fluorescence spectroscopy for the real-time evaluation of the microbial quality of untreated drinking water. Online fluorimeters were installed on the raw water intake at four groundwater-derived UK public water supplies alongside existing turbidity sensors that are used to forewarn of the presence of microbial contamination in the water industry. The fluorimeters targeted fluorescent dissolved organic matter (DOM) peaks at excitation/emission wavelengths of 280/365â¯nm (tryptophan-like fluorescence, TLF) and 280/450â¯nm (humic-like fluorescence, HLF). Discrete samples were collected for Escherichia coli, total bacterial cell counts by flow cytometry, and laboratory-based fluorescence and absorbance. Both TLF and HLF were strongly correlated with E. coli (ρâ¯=â¯0.71-0.77) and total bacterial cell concentrations (ρâ¯=â¯0.73-0.76), whereas the correlations between turbidity and E. coli (ρâ¯=â¯0.48) and total bacterial cell counts (ρâ¯=â¯0.40) were much weaker. No clear TLF peak was observed at the sites and all apparent TLF was considered to be optical bleed-through from the neighbouring HLF peak. Therefore, a HLF fluorimeter alone would be sufficient to evaluate the microbial water quality at these sources. Fluorescent DOM was also influenced by site operations such as pump start-up and the precipitation of cations on the sensor windows. Online fluorescent DOM sensors are a better indicator of the microbial quality of untreated drinking water than turbidity and they have wide-ranging potential applications within the water industry.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Espectrometría de Fluorescencia
/
Agua Potable
/
Calidad del Agua
País/Región como asunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Water Res
Año:
2018
Tipo del documento:
Article