Intensity and Nature of Physical Agents

Heat and light are physical agents used for the disinfection of
wastewater. Most of the time, the more intense a physical agents are, the more
rapidly the microorganisms are destroyed. Therefore, their effectiveness is a function
of intensity.
A. Heat
Moist heat readily kills other pathogenic microorganisms but is not high
enough to destroy bacterial endospores that may survive hours of boiling. At first,
effectiveness heat was expressed in terms of thermal death point (TDP), in 10
minutes, it is the lowest temperature at which a microbial suspension is killed.
Now, thermal death time (TDT) is more commonly used, in which it is the shortest
time to kill all organisms in a microbial suspension at a specific and defined
temperature and conditions.

B. Light
Ultra Violet Light: UV filtration has been recognized by the EPA as one of four
approved methods of disinfecting water, which is more preferable over the other
methods due to its instantaneous effect and the fact that it does not leave any residual
chemicals in the water. It simply removes the risk of illness caused by microbial
contamination.
Water enters an ultraviolet sterilization chamber where any viruses, bacteria,
mold, or other living microorganisms are bombarded with special, intense light of a
specific wavelength (254íùm). The UV light penetrates the cell walls of the organisms
and attacks their DNA structure leaving the organism dead or unable to reproduce -
effectively neutralized. The effectiveness of a UV system in eliminating microbiological
contamination is directly dependent on the physical qualities and/or clarity of the water
supply.

III. Temperature
The temperature influences the effectiveness of disinfection. Increasing the
temperature usually increases the rate of disinfection. Increasing temperatures can also
decrease disinfection, because the disinfectant may fall apart or is volatize. Freezing
items at -20 C or lower stops microbial growth because the low temperature and the
absence of liquid water. Some microorganisms will be killed by ice crystal disruption of
cell membranes.
The effect of temperature on the rate of kill can be represented by the Van’t Hoff –
Arrhenius relationship;
t 1 E(T 2−T 1)
ln =
t 2 R(T 1)(T 2)
From the data given on the table above, solve for the contact time of the following
microorganisms: a) Rotavirus, b) Giardia Lamblia and c) Giardia muris, if the
temperature is to be raised by 20 degrees Celsius.

Solution:
a) Rotavirus

T1 = 5 ° C = 278.15 K pH = 7
T2 = 25 ° C = 298.15K E= 76 kJ/mol
(From Chapter II)
t 1 = 0.002 min

0.002 min 76 kJ /mol (25−5) K

ln =
t2 KJ 1 kmol
(8.314 )( )(278.15 K )(298.15 K )
kmol K 1000 mol
t 2=2.2060 x 10− 4 min

b) Giardia Lamblia
 T1 = 25 ° C = 298.15 K pH = 7
T2 = 45 ° C = 318.15K E= 76 kJ/mol
(From Chapter II)
t 1 = 0.0057 min

0.0057 min 76 kJ /mol (45−25) K

ln =
t2 KJ 1 kmol
(8.314 )( )(318.15 K)(298.15 K )
kmol K 1000 mol
t 2=8.2952 x 10−4 min
c) Giardia muris

T1 = 25 ° C = 298.15 K pH = 7
T2 = 45 ° C = 318.15K E= 76 kJ/mol
(From Chapter II)
t 1 = 0.09 min

0.09 min 76 kJ /mol(45−25) K

ln =
t2 KJ 1 kmol
(8.314 )( )(318.15 K )(298.15 K )
kmol K 1000 mol

t 2=0.0131 min

Water Treatment Solutions. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.lenntech.com/processes/disinfection/factors/factors-disinfection-
water.htm#ixzz65wzqrgvY.

(n.d.). Retrieved from http://justin_oring.tripod.com/microbial.htm.