9705137 Blatchley This is an award to support research to determine conditions under which Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts, Giardia lamblia cysts, several bacterial pathogens and coliphage MS-2 in aqueous suspension are inactivated when subjected to gamma radiation. The inactivation experiments will be conducted in batch reactors using a Cobalt 60 source. Conditions to be studied include the influence of carbonate alkalinity and dissolved oxygen on the inactivation process. The potential toxicological effects of gamma radiation on organic substances in water will be studied by subjecting samples of untreated water from public water supply sources and treated water prior to conventional disinfection processes to radiation from the gamma source. Organic substances from these water samples prior to and following radiation will be concentrated using exchange resins and the mutagenicity of these concentrates will be determined by use of the Ames test procedure. Results of this research are expected to provide guidance for potential engineering design of processes using sources of gamma radiation to disinfect water and wastewater. In addition to providing a process for inactivation of pathogens and destruction of organic contaminants, environmental technologies based on use of ionizing radiation for disinfection of water and wastewater have the potential for avoidance and prevention of pollution by providing beneficial uses for products derived from high level radioactive wastes. ***
