THE INACTIVATION OF A NATURAL POPULATION OF COLIFORM BACTERIA BY SUNLIGHT

Abstract— The 'natural purification' of water, processes by which pathogenic organisms disappear from contaminated waters, is of great importance regarding water resources. The relative importance of the various processes which remove undesirable organisms is yet to be determined. Wastewater was exposed to sunlight by placing 120 m/samples in UV transparent or absorptive cylindrical vessels which were then placed in a 50/ container filled with water from a lagoon system, thus simulating actual exposure conditions in the lagoon system. Samples were exposed to natural sunlight for 3 days and received different wavelengths of sunlight, depending upon the presence of predetermined filters. The dynamics of the coliform population was observed. It was noted that coliform bacteria demonstrated a significant growth potential when held in darkness or during the night. An entire day of full unfiltered sunlight was a potent bacteriocidal agent, reducing coliform survival to less than 0.01% of the initial value. Removing the shorter wavelengths (Λ. < 325 nm) by optical filters or by the optical properties of the wastewater itself still left components of sunlight capable of killing coliforms. Our studies support the concept that solar UV radiation makes a substantial contribution to the natural purification of water.