Objetivo
The general goal of this research project is to protect the drinking water consumer from microbial risk. Many micro- organisms have emerged as important waterborne pathogens in the past few years. Norwalk virus, Legionella, and Giardia are all relatively recent examples of micro-organisms that have presented new public health concerns. Awareness of most of these organisms has developed because of significant localised outbreaks. Cryptosporidium, the newest of these organisms, is now a target of pending regulations. Recent laboratory and pilot tests results have shown that medium pressure UV lamps provide substantial inactivation of Cryptosporidium oocysts at low UV dosage. Consequently, there is great interest in the potential applicability of UV for drinking water disinfection of protozoan, viral and bacterial pathogens. The objective is thus to provide scientific and technological knowledge to the drinking water community in order to improve knowledge on UV disinfection processes efficiency. The main objective of this research project is to associate the best new molecular biology techniques for quantification of drinking water disinfection to the new best techniques for UV treatment. For that great challenge, new developments are necessary in the field of UV treatment for a best knowledge of the process parameters and a best approach of the inactivation mechanisms involved. Furthermore, new developments in microbiological analytic tools have to be developed for that task.