Chlorine is largely used as a disinfectant in the water and wastewater treatment industries through the world despite the fact that is greatly poisonous for hu-man beings. Its toxicity is more extended to generating disinfection by-products during its microorganisms’ killing and action on organic matter present in water. More importantly, recent studies proved the potential impacts of disinfection on transmission of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), particularly for free-living ARGs in final disinfected effluent of urban wastewater treatment plants. Indeed, Escherichia coli concentration prior to chlorination depicted a powerful positive correlation with the extracellular ARGs plenty in the final effluents; however, lower temperature and higher ammonium concentration were suggested to relate with intracellular ARGs. Chlorination could elevate the plenty of ARGs, therefore, inducing danger of the diffusion of antibiotic resistance in nature. Consequently, chlorine toxicity is more and more proved, which appeals its urgent stopping from using it in the treatment of both water and wastewater. The same conclusion was also obtained at least for UV and UV/H2O2 disinfection. Chemical disinfection should be urgently avoided or at least deeply revised. For removing pathogens and treating water, safe multi-barrier methods, such as distillation and membrane processes, have to be adopted.
Cite this paper
Ghernaout, D. and Elboughdiri, N. (2020). Is Not It Time to Stop Using Chlorine for Treating Water?. Open Access Library Journal, 7, e6007. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1106007.
Huang, J.-J., Hu, H.-Y., Lu, S.-Q., Li, Y., Tang, F., Lu, Y. and Wei, B. (2012) Monitoring and Evaluation of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria at a Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant in China. Environment International, 42, 31-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2011.03.001
Koivunen, J. and Heinonen-Tanski, H. (2005) Inactivation of Enteric Microorganisms with Chemical Disinfectants, UV Irradiation and Combined Chemical/UV Treatments. Water Research, 39, 1519-1526. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2005.01.021
Kitis, M. (2004) Disinfection of Wastewater with Peracetic Acid: A Review. Environment International, 30, 47-55. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0160-4120(03)00147-8
Al-Jassim, N., Ansari, M.I., Harb, M. and Hong, P.-Y. (2015) Removal of Bacterial Contaminants and Antibiotic Resistance Genes by Conventional Wastewater Treatment Processes in Saudi Arabia: Is the Treated Wastewater Safe to Reuse for Agricultural Irrigation? Water Research, 73, 277-290. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2015.01.036
Ghernaout, D. (2013) The Best Available Technology of Water/Wastewater Treatment and Seawater Desalination: Simulation of the Open Sky Seawater Distillation. Green and Sustainable Chemistry, 3, 68-88. https://doi.org/10.4236/gsc.2013.32012
Ghernaout, D. (2018) Increasing Trends towards Drinking Water Reclamation from Treated Wastewater. World Journal of Applied Chemistry, 3, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wjac.20180301.11
Ghernaout, D., Alshammari, Y. and Alghamdi, A. (2018) Improving Energetically Operational Procedures in Wastewater Treatment Plants. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 5, 64-72. https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2018.09.010
Al Arni, S., Amous, J. and Ghernaout, D. (2019) On the Perspective of Applying of a New Method for Wastewater Treatment Technology: Modification of the Third Traditional Stage with Two Units, One by Cultivating Microalgae and Another by Solar Vaporization. Inter-national Journal of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources, 16, Article ID: 555934. https://doi.org/10.19080/IJESNR.2019.16.555934
Ghernaout, D., Elboughdiri, N. and Ghareba, S. (2019) Drinking Water Reuse: One-Step Closer to Overpassing the “Yuck Factor”. Open Access Library Journal, 6, e5895. https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1105895
Ghernaout, D. (2017) Water Reuse (WR): The Ultimate and Vital Solution for Water Supply Issues. International Journal of Sustainable Development Research, 3, 36-46. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsdr.20170304.12
Guo, J., Li, J., Chen, H., Bond, P.L. and Yuan, Z. (2017) Metagenomic Analysis Reveals Wastewater Treatment Plants as Hotspots of Antibiotic Resistance Genes and Mobile Genetic Elements. Water Research, 123, 468-478. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2017.07.002
Chen, H. and Zhang, M. (2013) Occurrence and Removal of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Municipal Wastewater and Rural Domestic Sewage Treatment Systems in Eastern China. Environment International, 55, 9-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2013.01.019
Naquin, A., Shrestha, A., Sherpa, M., Nathaniel, R. and Boopathy, R. (2015) Presence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in a Sewage Treatment Plant in Thibodaux, Louisiana, USA. Bioresource Technology, 188, 79-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2015.01.052
Wang, Q., Mao, D. and Luo, Y. (2015) Ionic Liquid Facilitates the Conjugative Transfer of Antibiotic Resistance Genes Mediated by Plasmid RP4. Environmental Science & Technology, 49, 8731-8740. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5b01129
Wen, Q., Yang, L., Duan, R. and Chen, Z. (2016) Monitoring and Evaluation of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Four Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants in Harbin, Northeast China. Environmental Pollution, 212, 34-40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.01.043
Ghernaout, D. and Ghernaout, B. (2012) On the Concept of the Future Drinking Water Treatment Plant: Algae Harvesting from the Algal Biomass for Biodiesel Production—A Review. Desalination and Water Treatment, 49, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/19443994.2012.708191
Rizzo, L., Manaia, C., Merlin, C., Schwartz, T., Dagot, C., Ploy, M.C., Michael, I. and Fatta-Kassinos, D. (2013) Urban Wastewater Treatment Plants as Hotspots for Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria and Genes Spread into the Environment: A Review. Science of the Total Environment, 447, 345-360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.01.032
Yang, Y., Zhang, T., Zhang, X.X., Liang, D.W., Zhang, M., Gao, D.W., Zhu, H.G., Huang, Q.G. and Fang, H.H. (2012) Quantification and Characterization of Betalactam Resistance Genes in 15 Sewage Treatment Plants from East Asia and North America. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 95, 1351-1358. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-011-3810-5
Jutkina, J., Rutgersson, C., Flach, C.F. and Larsson, D.G. (2016) An Assay for Determining Minimal Concentrations of Antibiotics That Drive Horizontal Transfer of Resistance. Science of the Total Environment, 548-549, 131-138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.01.044
Kim, S., Yun, Z., Ha, U.H., Lee, S., Park, H., Kwon, E.E., Cho, Y., Choung, S., Oh, J., Medriano, C.A. and Chandran, K. (2014) Transfer of Antibiotic Resistance Plasmids in Pure and Activated Sludge Cultures in the Presence of Environmentally Representative Micro-Contaminant Concentrations. Science of the Total Environment, 468-469, 813-820. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.08.100
Munir, M., Wong, K. and Xagoraraki, I. (2011) Release of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria and Genes in the Effluent and Biosolids of Five Wastewater Utilities in Michigan. Water Research, 45, 681-693. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2010.08.033
Pruden, A., Pei, R., Storteboom, H. and Carlson, K.H. (2006) Antibiotic Resistance Genes as Emerging Contaminants: Studies in Northern Colorado. Environmental Science & Technology, 40, 7445-7450. https://doi.org/10.1021/es060413l
Rodriguez-Mozaz, S., Chamorro, S., Marti, E., Huerta, B., Gros, M., Sanchez-Melsio, A., Borrego, C.M., Barcelo, D. and Balcazar, J.L. (2015) Occurrence of Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Hospital and Urban Wastewaters and Their Impact on the Receiving River. Water Research, 69, 234-242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2014.11.021
Shi, P., Jia, S., Zhang, X.X., Zhang, T., Cheng, S. and Li, A. (2013) Meta-genomic Insights into Chlorination Effects on Microbial Antibiotic Resistance in Drinking Water. Water Research, 47, 111-120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2012.09.046
McKinney, C.W. and Pruden, A. (2012) Ultraviolet Disinfection of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria and Their Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Water and Wastewater. Environmental Science & Technology, 46, 13393-13400. https://doi.org/10.1021/es303652q
Yoon, Y., Chung, H.J., Di, D.Y.W., Dodd, M.C., Hur, H.-G. and Lee, Y. (2017) Inactivation Efficiency of Plasmid-Encoded Antibiotic Resistance Genes during Water Treatment with Chlorine, UV, and UV/H2O2. Water Research, 123, 783-793. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2017.06.056
Zhang, Y., Zhuang, Y., Geng, J., Ren, H., Zhang, Y., Ding, L. and Xu, K. (2015) Inactivation of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Municipal Wastewater Effluent by Chlorination and Sequential UV/Chlorination Disinfection. Science of the Total Environment, 512-513, 125-132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.01.028
Lin, W., Li, S., Zhang, S. and Yu, X. (2016) Reduction in Horizontal Transfer of Conjugative Plasmid by UV Irradiation and Low-Level Chlorination. Water Research, 91, 331-338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2016.01.020
Xu, L., Ouyang, W., Qian, Y., Su, C., Su, J. and Chen, H. (2016) High-Throughput Profiling of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Drinking Water Treatment Plants and Distribution Systems. Environmental Pollution, 213, 119-126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.02.013
Lin, W., Zhang, M., Zhang, S. and Yu, X. (2016) Can Chlorination Co-Select Antibiotic-Resistance Genes? Chemosphere, 156, 412-419. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.04.139
Molin, S. and Tolker-Nielsen, T. (2003) Gene Transfer Occurs with Enhanced Efficiency in Biofilms and Induces Enhanced Stabilisation of the Biofilm Structure. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 14, 255-261. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0958-1669(03)00036-3
Wang, D.N., Liu, L., Qiu, Z.G., Shen, Z.Q., Guo, X., Yang, D., Li, J., Liu, W.L., Jin, M. and Li, J.W. (2016) A New Adsorption-Elution Technique for the Concentration of Aquatic Extracellular Antibiotic Resistance Genes from Large Volumes of Water. Water Research, 92, 188-198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2016.01.035
Guo, M.-T., Yuan, Q.-B. and Yang, J. (2013) Microbial Selectivity of UV Treat-ment on Antibiotic-Resistant Heterotrophic Bacteria in Secondary Effluents of a Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant. Water Re-search, 47, 6388-6394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2013.08.012
Ferro, G., Guarino, F., Castiglione, S. and Rizzo, L. (2016) Antibiotic Resistance Spread Potential in Urban Wastewater Effluents Disinfected by UV/H2O2 Process. Science of the Total Environment, 560-561, 29-35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.04.047
Ghernaout, D. and Naceur, M.W. (2011) Ferrate (VI): In Situ Generation and Water Treatment—A Review. Desalination and Water Treatment, 30, 319-332. https://doi.org/10.5004/dwt.2011.2217
Ghernaout, D. (2013) Advanced Oxidation Phenomena in Electrocoagulation Process: A Myth or a Reality? Desalination and Water Treatment, 51, 7536-7554. https://doi.org/10.1080/19443994.2013.792520
Ghernaout, D. (2019) Virus Removal by Electrocoagulation and Elec-trooxidation: New Findings and Future Trends. Journal of Environmental Science and Allied Research, 85-90.
Ghernaout, D. (2019) Electrocoagulation and Electrooxidation for Disinfecting Water: New Breakthroughs and Implied Mechanisms. Applied En-gineering, 3, 125-133.
Ghernaout, D., Badis, A., Ghernaout, B. and Kellil, A. (2008) Application of Electrocoagulation in Escherichia coli Culture and Two Surface Waters. Desalination, 219, 118-125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2007.05.010
Ghernaout, D. and Ghernaout, B. (2010) From Chemical Disinfection to Electro-disinfection: The Obligatory Itinerary? Desalination and Water Treatment, 16, 156-175. https://doi.org/10.5004/dwt.2010.1085
Ghernaout, D., Benblidia, C. and Khemici, F. (2015) Microalgae Removal from Ghrib Dam (AinDefla, Algeria) Water by Electroflotation Using Stainless Steel Electrodes. Desalination and Water Treatment, 54, 3328-3337. https://doi.org/10.1080/19443994.2014.907749
Ghernaout, D., Alghamdi, A. and Ghernaout, B. (2019) Microorgan-isms’ Killing: Chemical Disinfection vs. Electrodisinfection. Applied Engineering, 3, 13-19.
Ghasemian, S., Asadishad, B., Omanovic, S. and Tufenkji, N. (2017) Electrochemical Disinfection of Bacteria-Laden Water Using Antimony-Doped Tin-Tungsten-Oxide Electrodes. Water Research, 126, 299-307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2017.09.029
Ghernaout, D., Ghernaout, B. and Kellil, A. (2009) Natural Organic Matter Removal and Enhanced Coagulation as a Link between Coagulation and Electrocoagulation. Desalination and Water Treatment, 2, 203-222. https://doi.org/10.5004/dwt.2009.116
Ghernaout, D., Naceur, M.W. and Ghernaout, B. (2011) A Review of Electrocoagulation as a Promising Coagulation Process for Improved Organic and Inorganic Matters Removal by Electrophoresis and Electroflotation. Desalination and Water Treatment, 28, 287-320. https://doi.org/10.5004/dwt.2011.1493
Ghernaout, D. (2014) The Hydrophilic/Hydrophobic Ratio vs. Dissolved Organics Removal by Coagulation—A Review. Journal of King Saud University—Science, 26, 169-180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jksus.2013.09.005
Ghernaout, D., Moulay, S., AitMessaoudene, N., Aichouni, M., Naceur, M.W. and Boucherit, A. (2014) Coagulation and Chlorination of NOM and Algae in Water Treatment: A Review. International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis, 2, 23-34. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.s.2014020601.14
Ghernaout, D., Al-Ghonamy, A.I., Boucherit, A., Ghernaout, B., Naceur, M.W., AitMessaoudene, N., Aichouni, M., Mahjoubi, A.A. and Elboughdiri, N.A. (2015) Brownian Motion and Coagulation Process. American Journal of Environmental Protection, 4, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajeps.s.2015040501.11
Ghernaout, D., Al-Ghonamy, A.I., Naceur, M.W., Boucherit, A., Messaoudene, N.A., Aichouni, M., Mahjoubi, A.A. and Elboughdiri, N.A. (2015) Controlling Coagulation Process: From Zeta Potential to Streaming Potential. American Journal of Environmental Protection, 4, 16-27. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajeps.s.2015040501.12
Ghernaout, D. and Boucherit, A. (2015) Review of Coagulation’s Rapid Mixing for NOM Removal. Journal of Research & Developments in Chemistry, 2015, Article ID: 926518. https://doi.org/10.5171/2015.926518
Ghernaout, D. (2017) Environmental Principles in the Holy Koran and the Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad. American Journal of Environmental Protection, 6, 75-79. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajep.20170603.13
Boucherit, A., Moulay, S., Ghernaout, D., Al-Ghonamy, A.I., Ghernaout, B., Naceur, M.W., AitMessaoudene, N., Aichouni, M., Mahjoubi, A.A. and Elboughdiri, N.A. (2015) New Trends in Disinfection By-Products Formation upon Water Treatment. Journal of Research & Developments in Chemistry, 2015, Article ID: 628833. https://doi.org/10.5171/2015.628833
Ghernaout, D. (2018) Disinfection and DBPs Removal in Drinking Water Treatment: A Perspective for a Green Technology. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 5, 108-117. https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2018.02.018
Ghernaout, D. (2017) The Holy Koran Revelation: Iron Is a “Sent Down” Metal. American Journal of Environmental Protection, 6, 101-104. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajep.20170604.14
Ghernaout, D., Aichouni, M. and Touahmia, M. (2019) Mechanistic Insight into Disinfection by Electrocoagulation: A Review. Desalination and Water Treatment, 141, 68-81. https://doi.org/10.5004/dwt.2019.23457
Ghernaout, D. and El-Wakil, A. (2017) Requiring Reverse Osmosis Membranes Modifica-tions—An Overview. American Journal of Chemical Engineering, 5, 81-88. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajche.20170504.15
Ghernaout, D. (2017) Reverse Osmosis Process Membranes Modeling—A Historical Overview. Journal of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, 2, 112-122.
Ghernaout, D., El-Wakil, A., Alghamdi, A., Elboughdiri, N. and Mahjoubi, A. (2018) Membrane Post-Synthesis Modifications and How It Came about. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 5, 60-64. https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2018.02.010
Ghernaout, D., Alshammari, Y., Alghamdi, A., Aichouni, M., Touahmia, M. and AitMessaoudene, N. (2018) Water Reuse: Extenuating Membrane Fouling in Membrane Processes. International Journal of Environmental Chemistry, 2, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajche.20180602.12
Ghernaout, D., Naceur, M.W. and Aouabed, A. (2011) On the Dependence of Chlorine By-Products Generated Species Formation of the Electrode Material and Applied Charge during Electrochemical Water Treatment. Desalination, 270, 9-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2011.01.010
AitMessaoudene, N., Naceur, M.W., Ghernaout, D., Alghamdi, A. and Aichouni, M. (2018) On the Validation Perspectives of the Proposed Novel Dimensionless Fouling Index. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 5, 116-122. https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2018.07.014
Ghernaout, D., Alghamdi, A., Aichouni, M. and Touahmia, M. (2018) The Lethal Water Tri-Therapy: Chlorine, Alum, and Polyelectrolyte. World Journal of Applied Chemistry, 3, 65-71. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wjac.20180302.14
Ghernaout, D., Ghernaout, B. and Naceur, M.W. (2011) Embodying the Chemical Water Treatment in the Green Chemistry: A Review. Desalination, 271, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2011.01.032
Ghernaout, B., Ghernaout, D. and Saiba, A. (2010) Algae and Cyanotoxins Removal by Coagulation/Flocculation: A Review. Desalination and Water Treatment, 20, 133-143. https://doi.org/10.5004/dwt.2010.1202