Project Summary: This project aims to investigate the impact of various doses of ultraviolet-254nm (UV) disinfection on opportunistic pathogens in drinking water. The research involves the implementation of novel molecular methods to monitor the viability of specific microbial populations’ response to UV exposure in real drinking water conditions. The focus will be on assessing the viability of opportunistic bacterial pathogens, specifically nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), directly in drinking water samples. The study will be conducted in collaboration with a full-scale drinking water treatment plant in Ann Arbor, MI, which has NTM and an intermittently operating UV system, providing an ideal system for the research. The project findings will enhance our understanding of the effects of UV treatment on microbial viability and communities, and contribute to minimizing public health risks associated with drinking water.

Group members: Nuha Alfahham

Collaborators: The City of Ann Arbor drinking water treatment plant.

Funding Source: MI-AWWA Fellowship for Water Quality & Treatment Research, Rackham Engineering fellowships, Rackham Graduate Research Grant.

Relevant publications: