Sequential Inactivation of Cryptosporidium Parvum Using Ozone and Chlorine

Inactivation of bovine-derived C. parvum oocysts was studied at bench-scale in oxidant demand free 0.05 M phosphate buffer using free chlorine alone or ozone followed by free chlorine at temperatures of 1 degrees C, 10 degrees C and 22 degrees C at pH 6. Animal infectivity using neonatal CD-1 mice was used for evaluation of oocyst viability after treatment. Kinetic models based on the linear Chick-Watson model were developed for free chlorine inactivation and ozone/free chlorine sequential inactivation for 0.4 or 1.6 log-units of ozone primary kill. At 22 degrees C. ozone pre-treatment increased the efficacy of free chlorine for about 4-6 times depending on the level of ozone primary kills. Gross kills of the ozone/free chlorine sequential inactivation were a function of ozone primary kills and increased linearly with the free chlorine C(avg)t (arithmetic average of the initial and final residual x contact time) product. Temperature was critical for both single and sequential inactivation, and the efficacy of free chlorine after 1.6 log-units of ozone primary inactivation decreased by a factor of 1.8 for every 10 degrees C temperature decrease. Given an ozone primary kill of 1.6 log-units, the free chlorine C(avg)t products required for a gross kill of 3.0 log-units were 1000, 2000 and 3,300 mgmin/L for 22 degrees C. 10 degrees C and 1degrees C, respectively.