Comprehensive evaluation of UV inactivation of E. coli using multiple gene targets and real-time quantitative PCR

UV disinfection is extensively used for wastewater disinfection and disinfection efficiency is commonly monitored using culture-based enumeration of E. coli. While culture-independent real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) based methods are attractive due to faster turnaround and easier application, previous attempts with qPCR to monitor disinfection have been unsuccessful. In this study, the effect of UV irradiation on a pure E. coli culture was examined in collimated beam (CB) experiments and monitored using both a culturing technique and DNA damage quantified using both short amplicon (SA;