PECASE: Understanding Sunlight-mediated Inactivation of Pathogens in Water - An Integrated Resarch and Education Career Development Plan

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Proposal Title: PECASE: Understanding Sunlight-mediated Inactivation of Pathogens in Water - An Integrated Research and Education Career Development PlanInstitution: University of California-BerkeleyThe research described in this proposal aims to measure the rates of inactivation of a range of bacterial and viral waterborne pathogens and indicator organisms due to each of these sunlight-mediated mechanisms under laboratory and field conditions, and to use the information to develop models of pathogen inactivation in surface waters. A series of controlled laboratory experiments is proposed in which a rigorous scientific approach is applied to identify, characterize, and quantify the individual and combined inactivation caused by the three inactivation mechanisms. In particular, a focus of the research is to quantify damage to organisms by exogenous photo-oxidation, and to define the conditions under which this mechanism is important in aquatic environments. Ultimately, the goal of this research is to improve our ability to protect public health in the industrialized and developing world. A quantitative understanding of the persistence of pathogens in surface waters, such as drinking water sources and recreational waters, will be useful for reevaluating water quality standards, optimizing monitoring programs, and interpreting microbiological water quality data. In particular, pathogens resistant to sunlight inactivation and appropriate indicator organisms for a range of aquatic environments will be identified. The results will also allow the design of better treatment processes to reduce the discharge of pathogens to the environment, as many engineered processes rely on natural mechanisms for pathogen inactivation (e.g., wastewater stabilization ponds, constructed wetlands). Finally, the results will be useful for understanding the epidemiology of waterborne disease; in particular, the inactivation rates can be used as input to quantitative risk analysis models. The proposed research and educational plan will encourage and support the participation of young scientists and engineers in international research and education, especially in developing countries, through developing long-term research and educational opportunities and collaborations with universities in developing countries, networking with public and private organizations that employ environmental engineers to work in developing countries, and incorporating topics relevant to engineering in developing countries into existing undergraduate and graduate courses.This project was originally funded as a CAREER award, and was converted to a Presidential Early Career Award for Engineers and Scientists (PECASE) award in September 2004.