Elucidating Chlorine Dioxide-Based Water Treatment Mechanism
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등록일 2026-07-16
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Elucidating Chlorine Dioxide-Based Water Treatment Mechanism
Published in International Journal ‘Water Research’… Attracting Attention as a Next-Generation Water Treatment Disinfectant
Kunsan National University (President Kim Kang-joo) announced on the 3rd that a research team led by Professor Shin Jae-don of the Department of Environmental Engineering has systematically elucidated the disinfection mechanism against pathogenic microorganisms and antibiotic resistance genes during water treatment processes using chlorine dioxide.
This research was published in the international journal ‘Water Research.’ ‘Water Research’ is recognized as a globally authoritative journal in the field of water resources, boasting an Impact Factor of 12.8 and ranking in the top 1.1% of JCR journals.
Chlorine dioxide is attracting attention as a next-generation water treatment disinfectant because it generates fewer disinfection byproducts with carcinogenic concerns compared to existing chlorine-based disinfectants and exhibits excellent disinfection effects across a wide pH range.
However, in the actual water purification field, there have been limitations in expanding its application due to insufficient scientific evidence regarding how chlorine dioxide acts at the microbial and genetic levels.
The research team analyzed the disinfection properties of chlorine dioxide against representative waterborne pathogens, including Escherichia coli (E. coli O157:H7), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Bacillus subtilis.
The analysis revealed that chlorine dioxide effectively inactivates microorganisms by inducing cell membrane damage and oxidative stress.
In particular, it was confirmed that chlorine dioxide reduces gene function through selective base oxidation in the case of plasmid DNA containing antibiotic resistance genes, even without complete cleavage.
Furthermore, experiments using actual river water demonstrated stable disinfection performance, proving its potential for application in various aquatic environments.
Seo Yu-jin, a master's student in the Department of Environmental Engineering at Kunsan National University, participated in this study as the first author. Under the guidance of Professor Shin, Professor Cho Min of Jeonbuk National University and Dr. Yoon Young-geon of the SELS Research Institute conducted joint research in the fields of microbial and molecular biology analysis, resulting in a research outcome that integrates water treatment engineering and microbiology. "This research is significant in that it scientifically elucidated the disinfection effect of chlorine dioxide beyond the level of microbial removal to the level of antibiotic resistance genes," said Professor Shin Jae-don. "We expect this to be utilized in the future to design safer and more efficient water treatment processes in various fields, including drinking water production, water reuse, and decentralized water treatment systems."
/Jeonbuk = Reporter Park Jong-su (bells@inews24.com)