Divergent responses of diverse microalgae commonly found in drinking water source water to UV-C treatment

Microalgae pose major problems for drinking water treatment processes either through membrane fouling or through blooming events in source water during the summer months. Disinfection treatments such as chlorination and UV-C treatment of drinking water are designed to remove microorganisms including microalgae and bacteria. In order to treat water efficiently it is critical to understand the effect of UV-C treatment on the viability and vitality of phytoplankton. Moreover, this information can be used to assess the utility of UV-C treatment as a potential pre-treatment option for water clean-up. In this study we tested the population growth of 6 phytoplankton species representing three major taxonomic groups (green algae, diatoms and cyanobacteria), commonly found in freshwater lakes in North America and relevant for water treatment facilities. We exposed these species to UV-C treatment and monitored their post-exposure population growth over a 52–55-day period using a plate-based MPN (most probable number) method. We found the green alga Scenedesmus quadricauda and the cyanobacterium Anabaena flos-aquae to be most tolerant to the treatment, while the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa and the diatom Asterionella formosa were found to be most sensitive with viability being reduced at comparatively lower doses. No significant delays in growth post treatment (i.e. time lags) were reported within species. Asterionella formosa and Aulacoseira granulata showed the longest time lags of all species, which might be in part correlated with DNA repair mechanisms and other physiological adaptations. This work provides the basis for the assessment of UV-C treatment efficacy on freshwater phytoplankton.