Electrochemical Inactivation of MS2 Coliphage
Current drinking water purification methods are not generally capable of killing enteric viruses and other harmful microorganisms. The most common method of disinfection, chlorination, leaves harmful and sometimes carcinogenic disinfection byproducts. Due to the inefficiency of current methods, new water treatment methods are being tested. Here an electrochemical disinfection system was used to obtain inactivation kinetics of the MS2 coliphage used as a surrogate for enteric viruses. MS2 was added to distilled and deionized water along with a phosphate buffer and NaCl. Samples were obtained before and during the electrochemical disinfection process, diluted, and then plated with E. coli to calculate the inactivation efficiencies. At pH 9, electrochemical disinfection shows a faster viral inactivation rate when CT values and first-order inactivation kinetics were compared to free chlorination at the more favorable pH 8.
School:
University of Iowa
Department:
Biological Sciences
Research Advisor:
Benito J. Mariñas
Department of Research Advisor:
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Year of Publication:
2006