Natural freezing as a wastewater treatment method: E. coli inactivation capacity

Inactivation capacity of E. coli (strain ATCC 15597) in water by natural freezing was examined via two freezing methods: spray freezing and freezing in a freezer. The effect of freezing temperature (−5, −15 and −35 °C), storage time, freeze–thaw cycles on the survival of the test organism were investigated. In addition, the number of cells injured by the freezing process was also examined by using different growth media. The bacteria frozen at the warmer temperature (−5 °C) was most sensitive to storage and freeze–thaw cycles as compared to those frozen at −15 and −35 °C. In general, greater inactivation efficiencies were achieved under longer storage time and warmer freezing temperature conditions. Freezing and thawing caused cell injury. More cells were injured when frozen at −15 °C. The percentage of cells injured decreased as freeze–thaw cycles increased. The spray-freezing process was found more effective in killing the cells. On average, the log reduction rate for the spray ice with two-day storage time was about 4 log units higher than those without any storage after freezing. The results indicated that the natural freezing processes are not only cost-effective techniques for chemical and physical contaminant removal from wastewater or enhancing sludge dewaterability in cold regions but also effective in reducing E. coli concentration.