Exploración de la Radiación Uv-led en la Inactivación de Esporas de Hongos Transmitidas por el Agua:estudio De Cinética y Fotorreactivación

ABSTRACT (INGLES) (*)The presence of fungi in the water supply can cause several significant problems, such as alterations in the smell and taste of water, superficial or invasive infections in immunocompromised individuals, increased water turbidity, and complications in treatment systems due to biofilm formation and resistance to traditional disinfection methods. These problems affect both the perceived quality of the water and health safety, highlighting the need for more effective disinfection technologies. Some fungi, such as Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp., can produce mycotoxins, toxic compounds that can have harmful effects on human health if ingested through contaminated water. Growing concern about these problems has led to research and development of more effective disinfection methods, such as the use of UV LED, to ensure the safety and quality of the water supply. In this study, a collimated UV-LED reactor was used to irradiate Aspergillus niger and Penicillium sp. spores at wavelengths of 265 nm and 280 nm. Spore suspensions were prepared under controlled conditions and subjected to UV treatment under two post-treatment conditions (light and dark). Plate count experiments were performed to determine the effectiveness of inactivation. A kinetic model was used to determine UV resistance and damage repair capacity in the strains studied. The results indicated that UV wavelength and post-treatment conditions significantly influenced the efficacy of the treatment for Penicillium sp. In contrast, for A. niger, post-treatment conditions played a more substantial role. A. niger showed greater resistance than Penicillium sp., with D2 values (UV dose required to achieve 99% inactivation) of 323.7 ± 90 mJ cm-2 and 321.9 ± 43.8 mJ cm-2 at wavelengths of 265 nm and 280 nm, respectively. Penicillium sp. required 167.7 ± 13 mJ cm-2 and 146.5 ± 29.2 mJ cm-2 for wavelengths of 265 nm and 280 nm, respectively. The two fungal strains studied showed different resistance to UV treatment and different damage repair capabilities. The effect of repair in the dark is negligible, while the photoreactivation process is important. A. niger is more resistant than Penicillium sp.; however, the latter has a greater photoreactivation capacity. It is important to consider the specific characteristics of each species and the post-treatment conditions in UV disinfection processes, especially when dealing with less studied organisms, such as fungal spores in drinking water. The use of UV-LED not only represents a major advance in disinfection technology, but also promotes more sustainable and safer practices in relation to public health and environmental conservation objectives. This technology opens up new perspectives for the application of more sustainable and effective disinfection methods.