Electrochemical Wastewater Disinfection: Identification of Its Principal Germicidal Actions
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 130, Issue 10
Abstract
Laboratory experiments were carried out to investigate the mechanisms of electrochemical (EC) wastewater disinfection. Artificial wastewater contaminated by Escherichia coli (E. coli) culture, and which contained different salts of , , and , was used as the test medium. The experimental results do not favor the hypotheses that the EC bactericidal action was due to cell destruction by the electric field and the production of persulfate. In comparison to direct chlorination, the EC process displayed a much stronger disinfecting capability than that of electrochlorination assumed for EC disinfection. Observations with scanning electron microscopy on the E. coli bacteria of wastewater treated by different means of disinfection suggested that the cells were likely killed during the EC treatment by chemical products with oxidizing and germicidal powers similar to that of ozone and much stronger than that of chlorine. All of the findings support the theory that the major killing function of EC disinfection is provided by short-lived and high-energy intermediate EC products, such as free radicals.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
15.
American Public Health Association-American Water Works Association-Water Environmental Federation (APHA/AWWA/WEF).(1995). Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. 19th Ed., APHA/AWWA/WEF, Washington, D.C.
1.
Butterfield, M., Christensen, P. A., Curtis, T. P., and Gunlazuardi, J. (1997). “Water disinfection using an immobilized titanium dioxide film in a photochemical reactor with electric field enhancement.” Water Res., 31(3), 675–677.
2.
Grahl, T., and Markl, H. (1996). “Killing of microorganisms by pulsed electric fields.” Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 45(1/2), 148–157.
3.
Gu, J. D., Ford, T., and Mitchell, R. (1996). “Susceptibility of electronic insulation polyimides to microbial degradation.” J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 62(7), 1029–1034.
4.
Johnson, S. K., Houk, L. L., Feng, J. R., Houk, R. S., and Johnson, D. C. (1999). “Electrochemical incineration of 4-chlorophenol and identification of products and intermediates by mass spectrometry.” Environ. Sci. Technol., 33(15), 2638–2644.
5.
Li, X. Y., Ding, F., Lo, P. S. Y., and Sin, H. P. S. (2002). “Electrochemical disinfection of saline wastewater effluent.” J. Environ. Eng., 128(8), 697–704.
6.
Matsunaga, T., Nakasono, S., Kitajima, Y., and Horiguchi, K. (1994). “Electrochemical disinfection of bacteria in drinking water using activated carbon fibers.” Biotechnol. Bioeng., 43(5), 429–433.
7.
Matsunaga, T., et al. (2000). “TiN electrode reactor for disinfection of drinking water.” Water Res., 34(12), 3117–3122.
9.
Oturan, M. A. (2000). “An ecologically effective water treatment technique using electrochemically generated hydroxyl radicals for in situ destruction of organic pollutants: Application to herbicide 2,4-D.” J. Appl. Electrochem., 30(4), 475–482.
10.
Patermarakis, G., and Fountoukidis, E. (1990). “Disinfection of water by electrochemical treatment.” Water Res., 24(12), 1491–1496.
11.
Saran, M., Beck-Speier, I., Fellerhoff, B., and Bauer, G. (1999). “Phagocytic killing of microorganisms by radical processes: Consequences of the reaction of hydroxyl radicals with chloride yielding chlorine atoms.” Free Radic Biol. Med., 26(3–4), 482–490.
12.
Shinohara, H., Kojima, J., Yaoita, M., and Aizawa, M. (1989). “Electrically stimulated rupture of cell membranes with a conducting polymer-coated electrode.” Bioelectrochem. Bioenerg., 22(1), 23–35.
13.
Stoner, G. E., Cahen, G. L., Jr., Sachyani, M., and Gileadi, E. (1982). “The mechanism of low frequency A. C. electrochemical disinfection.” Bioelectrochem. Bioenerg., 9(3), 229–243.
14.
White, G.C. ( 1999). Handbook of chlorination and alternative disinfectants, 4th Ed., Wiley, New York, 637, 1205.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 130 • Issue 10 • October 2004
Pages: 1217 - 1221
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 ASCE.
History
Published online: Oct 1, 2004
Published in print: Oct 2004
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.