Work

Systematic review of Giardia and Cryptosporidium removal and inactivation in drinking water treatment

Year: 2026

Type: review

Abstract: ABSTRACT The presence of Giardia spp. cysts and Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts in drinking water remains a major public health concern due to their low infectious dose and resistance to chlorination. This study presents a systematic review of dissolved air flotation (DAF), sedimentation, and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection performance. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, 40 peer-reviewed articles (1995–2021) were analyzed, yielding 237 datasets for qualitative synthesis. Results indicate that DAF achieves log10 reduction values (LRV) of 1.79–2.8 for Giardia and 1.42–3.7 for Cryptosporidium, heavily influenced by coagulant selection and operating pressure (400–600 kPa). Sedimentation shows consistent removal for Giardia (2.15–5.53 LRV) and Cryptosporidium (1.79–3.8 LRV) under optimized coagulation. UV disinfection provides robust inactivation (2–4.02 LRV) for both pathogens, though efficacy depends on UV dose and water turbidity. The findings underscore that while all three processes significantly mitigate protozoan risks, their performance is highly contingent upon operational parameters and raw water quality. These results provide a technical framework for optimizing multi-barrier treatment strategies in water utilities.

Source: Journal of Water Sanitation and Hygiene for Development

DOI: 10.2166/washdev.2026.149

Authors: Pedro Mauricio Acosta-Castellanos, Dayana Paola Torres-Salinas, Brigid Hiomara Pacheco-Garcia

Institution: Universidad Santo Tomás

Language: English

Topic: Water Treatment and Disinfection

Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Clean water and sanitation, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: University of Santo Tomas