Speaker: Maddie Ferebbee

Topic: Mechanisms and Performance of UV Treatment for Biofilm Control in Drinking Water Infrastructure

Bio: EVEN PhD Candidate, Linden group

Abstract: Opportunistic pathogens (OPs), such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, can survive in biofilms and proliferate in drinking water systems even in the presence of a disinfectant residual, making them the leading cause of waterborne disease outbreaks in higher income countries. New technologies, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that emit germicidal ultraviolet (UV) light, present new opportunities to apply UV within drinking water infrastructure for disinfection. This seminar explores how these UV technologies can be applied to reduce biofilm formation within drinking water systems, therefore reducing the burden of OPs. Using P. aeruginosa as a model organism, bench-scale experiments were conducted to assess two different UV LED application strategies: pre-treatment vs. in-situ treatment. Biofilm reduction under varying conditions (pipe materials, nutrient conditions, UV wavelengths), as well as how UV treatment affects the structural development of biofilms, was investigated. Lastly, meetings with collaborators across academia, industry, utilities, and research sectors were conducted to evaluate if and how these technologies could be applied in the future.