npj Clean Water (Oct 2024)

Production of biostable drinking water using a lab-scale biological trickling filter enriched with hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria

  • Jorien Favere,
  • Fien Waegenaar,
  • Mingsheng Jia,
  • Karel Folens,
  • Milan Verhoeven,
  • Elien Balliu,
  • Andreja Rajkovic,
  • Bart De Gusseme,
  • Nico Boon

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-024-00396-5
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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Abstract Safeguarding the drinking water quality remains a challenge from the production site to the tap. Alternatively to chemical disinfection, biostable drinking water could serve as a more sustainable approach to produce microbially safe drinking water and to maintain the microbial quality in the drinking water distribution system (DWDS). In this study, the potential of hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria (HOB) to produce biostable drinking water was examined in a continuous trickling filter supplied with hydrogen gas. A biofilm was naturally enriched for 5 months and the bacterial regrowth, invasion potential, and nutrient composition of the water were determined. Treatment improved the biostability significantly, and it is hypothesized that nutrient limitation, especially phosphorous, was a driving force. As a result, the regrowth and invasion potential were lowered, as shown with specific biostability bioassays. Overall, this study demonstrates the proof-of-concept of HOB for producing biostable drinking water through nutrient limitation.