In vitro toxicity studies of novel solar water disinfection reactors using the E-screen bioassay and the Ames test

Solar water disinfection (SODIS) is a cost-effective point of use method for disinfecting water, usually in a 2 L polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottle. To increase the volume of water disinfected, three novel transparent reactors were developed using PET in 25 L transparent jerrycans, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) in tubular solar reactors capable of delivering >20 L of water and polypropylene (PP) in 20 L buckets. In vitro bioassays were used to investigate any toxic substances leached from the plastic reactors into disinfected water as a result of exposure to sunshine for up to 9 months. The Ames test was used to test for mutagenicity and the E-screen bioassay to test for estrogenicity. No mutagenicity was detected in any sample and no estrogenicity was found in the SODIS treated water produced by the PMMA reactors or the PP buckets. While water disinfected using the PET reactors showed no estrogenicity following exposure to the sun for 3 and 6 months, estrogenicity was detected following 9 months' exposure to sunlight; however levels detected were within the acceptable daily intake for 17β-estradiol (E2) of up to 50 ng/kg body weight/day. HIGHLIGHTS No mutagenicity or estrogenicity was detected in water from novel PMMA and PP SODIS reactors continuously exposed to sunshine for nine months.; The E-screen bioassay was used for the first time to test for estrogenicity in the SODIS process.; Water from 2 L and 25 L PET SODIS reactors showed no mutagenicity. Levels of estrogenicity detected were within acceptable limits.