title: Photocatalytic inactivation of Cryptosporidium parvum on nanostructured titanium dioxide films.
abstract: Control of waterborne gastrointestinal parasites represents a major concern to water industries worldwide. In developed countries, pathogens in drinking water supplies are normally removed by sand filtration followed by chemical disinfection. Cryptosporidium spp. are generally resistant to common disinfection techniques and alternative control strategies are being sought. In the current study, the photocatalytic inactivation of C. parvum oocysts was shown to occur in buffer solution (78.4% after 180 min) and surface water (73.7% after 180 min). Viability was assessed by dye exclusion, excystation, direct examination of oocysts and a novel gene expression assay based on lactate dehydrogenase 1 (LDH1) expression levels. Collectively, this confirmed the inactivation of oocysts and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed cleavage at the suture line of oocyst cell walls, revealing large numbers of empty (ghost) cells after exposure to photocatalytic treatment.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry BT52 1SA, UK.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sunnotel
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Verdoold
authors.forename: P S M
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Dunlop
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Snelling
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lowery
authors.forename: J S G
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Dooley
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Byrne
mesh_terms: D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004203:Disinfection / Q000295:instrumentation; D049329:Nanostructures; D033661:Oocysts / Q000528:radiation effects; D010782:Photolysis; D016053:RNA, Protozoan; D014025:Titanium; D018508:Water Purification / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D016053:RNA, Protozoan; C009495:titanium dioxide; D014025:Titanium