Bactericidal effect of various combinations of gamma radiation and chloramine on aqueous suspensions of Escherichia coli

Methods of combining gamma radiation with chloramine to disinfect aqueous suspensions of Escherichia coli were investigated. Logarithmically grown cells were exposed to the bactericidal agents sequentially (i.e., radiation followed by chloramine, and chloramine followed by radiation) and simultaneously. Regardless of which combination was used, the bactericidal effect was always less than additive. During the phase of work involving the simultaneous addition of both agents, it was observed that chloramine was destroyed more rapidly by radiation than were the organisms. Since an increase in the bactericidal effectiveness of either disinfectant by prior or simultaneous treatment of the cells with the other disinfectant was not achieved in buffered distilled water, it was concluded that disinfection of wastewater effluents by combining ionizing radiation with chloramine would not be economically feasible.