Kinetics of membrane damage to high (HNA) and low (LNA) nucleic acid bacterial clusters in drinking water by ozone, chlorine, chlorine dioxide, monochloramine, ferrate(VI), and permanganate

► Oxidant damage to drinking water bacteria is demonstrated with flow cytometry. ► Ozone, chlorine, chlorine dioxide, chloramine, ferrate, and permanganate were tested. ► The use of SYBR Green I and propidium iodide describe the oxidative process clearly. ► HNA cell membranes damage faster than LNA cell membranes