Experimental effect of ozone upon some indicator bacteria for preservation of an ecologically protected watery system

In the frame of a project concerning the evaluation of the pollution level and the ozone experimental effect upon some bacterial indicators of a protected ecosystem, water samples were estimated microbiologically before and after saturation with ozone gas for 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 min. We found that the ozone treatment decreased the concentration in all different bacterial indicators by reducing their number for more than six times after 15 min of application. Total inactivation was observed for C. perfringens vegetative cells. Since there are complex relations between the microbial loading the water characteristics and the action of ozone, further studies are needed to determine the optimum conditions of ozone effect, as its use consists of a promising technology.