Fate of Bacterial and Viral Bio-Warfare Agents in Disinfected Waters

Abstract

The present study sought to evaluate the survival of selected bacterial and viral bio-threat agents in disinfected water. Water matrices tested included formulated tap water with and without chlorine for bacterial agents and formulated tap water with and without chlorine and bromine for viral agents. Agents tested included B. anthracis, Y. pestis, F. tularensis, Brucella spp., vaccinia virus, and Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) virus. Disinfected water samples were spiked with each agent separately to a final concentration of approximately 1 x 10(exp 6) CFU or PFU/mL, and survival was assessed by serial dilution and plating or plaque assay. All agents were killed within minutes by the disinfectants tested with the exception of spores that required a longer contact time for inactivation. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that chlorine and bromine are effective disinfectants against agents tested.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2010
Accession Number
ADA531913

Entities

People

  • Alan W. Zulich
  • Amanda E. Chambers
  • Joseph M. Insalaco
  • Mary M. Wade
  • Tracey D. Biggs

Organizations

  • Edgewood Chemical Biological Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter WMD

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acids
  • Bromine
  • Cells
  • Centrifuges
  • Chlorine
  • Dilution
  • Disinfectants
  • Elements
  • Encephalitis
  • Equine Encephalitis
  • Ion Selective Electrodes
  • Materials
  • Poxviridae Infections
  • Reverse Osmosis
  • Spores
  • Viruses
  • Water

Readers

  • Agricultural Chemistry/Soil Science
  • Microbial Pathology
  • Virology (or Medical Virology).