Clays are one of the most common suspended materials present in aquatic systems [24]. Reduced phytoplankton production and increased growth of heterotrophic bacteria in aquatic systems have often been attributed to high clay turbidity levels and low light transmission levels [24, 25]. BIIB057 research buy In relation to solar disinfection, highly turbid water PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor samples at 300 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU), showed reduced microbial inactivation compared to less turbid or non-turbid

samples, which may be due to shielding of microbes from sunlight by suspended materials [26]. In batch system solar disinfection, Joyce et al. found that, less than 1% of the total solar UV light would reach a depth of 2 cm in water with a turbidity of 200 NTU [27]. Therefore, EAWAG, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Sciences and Technology, recommended that water for solar disinfection batch systems need to be not more than 10 cm in depth and a turbidity level of not more than 30 NTU [28]. Rincon and Pulgarin observed that water turbidity negatively affected the photocatalytic inactivation of microbes and resulted in bacterial re-growth, supported by nutrients associated with the suspended particles [29]. They also stated that suspended particles absorb heat from sunlight and warm the BI 10773 water. Warmer

water holds less oxygen and consequently affects microbial respiration and photocatalysis. Suspended particles also reduce light

penetration capacity by their scattering effect. One recent research study used a batch sequential CPC reactor to eliminate water pathogens, with reduced exposure time and minimal user input compared to other systemsn [30]. However, most of the previous studies of turbidity in solar disinfection have been in batch reactors with TiO2 suspensions, rather than immobilized systems. Another recent investigation has developed a CFD (computational fluid dynamics) model for water disinfection through a CPC pilot-plant reactor [31]. However, no laboratory experiments were evaluated in that study to evaluate its practical efficiency. In contrast to batch reactors and CPC reactor systems, the TFFBR system evaluated in the present study is a single-pass selleck chemical system. The reaction on the surface of the TFFBR reactor is different, as water is not in a static condition. Therefore, this study reports for the first time the use of a single-pass flow-through TFFBR system to investigate the elimination of an aquaculture pathogen from water of different turbidities. Suspended particles are not the only obstacle to light penetration; dissolved coloured materials also absorb sunlight of different wavelengths [32]. Natural organic matter is present in all surface water; humic acids are major component in natural waters which are brown in colour [28].