| Abstract: | Disclosed is a method for monitoring sources of public water supply for a
variety of pathogens by using a combination of ultrafiltration techniques
together dielectrophoretic separation techniques. Because water-borne
pathogens, whether present due to "natural" contamination or intentional
introduction, would likely be present in drinking water at low
concentrations when samples are collected for monitoring or outbreak
investigations, an approach is needed to quickly and efficiently
concentrate and separate particles such as viruses, bacteria, and
parasites in large volumes of water (e.g., 100 L or more) while
simultaneously reducing the sample volume to levels sufficient for
detecting low concentrations of microbes (e.g., <10 mL). The technique
is also designed to screen the separated microbes based on specific
conductivity and size. |