E. coli: Health Impacts, Exposure Evaluation, and Hazard Reduction

Around one billion persons could not possess access to secured potable water. In developing countries, the largest part of the illnesses remains provoked by pathogens infected water. As a well-known pathogen, Escherichia coli is largely employed as an indicator of coliform contamination. This work firstly defines microbiologically E. coli bacteria, presents a brief history relating to their first discovery and following contagions, and discusses their clinical characteristics besides their subsistence in nature. A general examination concerning different techniques used for controlling such bacteria is presented. The level of morbidity and mortality changes following the strain and the host’s properties. In poor nations, diarrhoeal illness largely conducts to dangerous diseases and dying. In rich nations, even if childhood diarrhoea stays not much serious, contagion with verocytotoxigenic E. coli may lead to haemolytic uremic syndrome and thrombiotic thrombo-cytopaenia purpura. Conventional water treatments employ chlorine injection that remains neither an appropriate nor economically feasible method in poor regions. Such competitive techniques may be overcome by a more affordable and off-grid method like a device founded on TiO2 photoelectrocatalytic disinfection concepts and an advanced hydrodynamic cavitation reactor (ARHCR). Applying photoelectrocatalytic processes in scaled-down and portable equipment authorizes performant water treatment when employing an off-grid point-of-use apparatus. A pilot-scale ARHCR was tested to kill microbes in water, and a fresh probable disinfection route of the ARHCR was suggested comprising hydrodynamical and sonochemical impacts. The ARHCR could be used as an encouraging different or finishing instrument for neutralizing pathogens in water, even if more investigation on the disinfection route and scale up remain required.