Reassessing systemic blind spots in modern water disinfection paradigms
Abstract
Disinfection plays a crucial role in ensuring healthcare and the safety of drinking water and sewage reuse. However, our current understanding of the factors influencing disinfection remains incomplete. This review offers a comprehensive examination of the often-neglected aspects in disinfection, such as micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs), bacterial states, quorum sensing, and horizontal gene transfer. A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the exposure risk and impacts associated with MNPs in water disinfection systems. Our findings indicate that within a specific concentration range of 5 μg·L-1 to 11.43 g·L-1, higher concentrations of MNPs hinder the bacterial inactivation rate and significantly increase the frequency of horizontal gene transfer following disinfection. Furthermore, MNPs also promote the formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs), with larger size of MNPs having a stronger effect. Among the various types of MNPs, studies predominantly focus on the response of polyethylene, and polyethylene terephthalate caused distinct promotion of DBPs. Our review also highlights existing knowledge gaps and challenges in the disinfection processes and facilitates the assessment of the risk of these influence factors, thereby supporting the development of advanced disinfection technologies. Additionally, it suggests prospective research directions in the field of water disinfection, aiming at improving disinfection processes.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a meta-analysis. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Green Chemistry: A Framework for a Sustainable Future
- Nano/micro-plastic, an invisible threat getting into the brain
- Emerging contaminants antibiotic resistance genes and microplastics in the environment: Introduction to 21 review articles published in CREST during 2018–2022
- Water Resources and Sustainable Development
- Nano- and microplastics in the workplace
- Water Enclosure and World-Literature: New Perspectives on Hydro-Power and World-Ecology
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.