Microorganisms have been shown to survive drinking water disinfection and remain
viable in disinfected waters despite the presence of disinfectant residuals. This may be
partially due to protection by particulate matter. This paper studies the
effects of the presence of particulate matter on disinfection kinetics in comparison to
kinetics in particle-free water. Heterotrophic plate count bacteria and Helicobacter pylori
were used in inactivation experiments in the presence and absence of soil, corrosion, and
wastewater particles. Inactivation of indicator organisms, namely Bacillus subtilis spores
and MS2 phages, was also studied using synthetic, demand-free buffered water, in the
presence and absence of floc particles. Floc particles were produced using kaolin clay
and alum in an attempt to entrap the organisms. The disinfectants assessed in this study
include UV, free chlorine, chlorine dioxide, and monochloramine. Results showed that
the mere presence of the soil and corrosion particles in the water could affect the
inactivation kinetics, decreasing the level of inactivation by up to 1 log in some cases,
compared to particle-free water for the same CT. Wastewater particles and coagulated
kaolin clay had no effect on microbial inactivation with the disinfectants used in this
study. Includes 17 references, tables, figures.