Elimination of botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) type B from drinking water by small-scale (personal-use) water purification devices and detection of BoNT in water samples.
Seven small-scale drinking water purification devices were evaluated for their capacity to eliminate botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) type B from drinking water. Influent water inoculated with toxic Clostridium botulinum cultures and effluent purified water samples were tested for the presence of BoNT by using a standard mouse bioassay and two commercial rapid enzyme immunoassays (EIAs). The water purification devices based on filtration through ceramic or membrane filters with a pore size of 0.2 to 0.4 microm or irradiation from a low-pressure UV-lamp (254 nm) failed to remove BoNT from raw water (reduction of < 0.1 log10 units). A single device based on reverse osmosis was capable of removing the BoNT to a level below the detection limit of the mouse bioassay (reduction of > 2.3 log10 units). The rapid EIAs intended for the detection of BoNT from various types of samples failed to detect BoNT from aqueous samples containing an estimated concentration of BoNT of 396,000 ng/liter.
Hörman
Ari
A
Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland. ari.horman@milnet.fi
Nevas
Mari
M
Lindström
Miia
M
Hänninen
Marja-Liisa
ML
Korkeala
Hannu
H
D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay; D001905:Botulinum Toxins / Q000032:analysis*; D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A; D001906:Botulism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality; D003014:Clostridium botulinum / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000737:chemistry; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005374:Filtration / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D051379:Mice; D014871:Water Microbiology; D018508:Water Purification / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D014881:Water Supply
D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; C096323:rimabotulinumtoxinB; D001905:Botulinum Toxins; D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A