Bipolar electrochemical reactor processes for removal of bacterial spores: Effect of ethanol and potasium iodide

Abstract

Electrochemical techniques have a great potential in removing organic matters and resistant microorganisms from water through water treatment processes. The present study was conducted to propose a standard solution for the removal of Bacillus subtilis as a model of Cryptosporidium from drinking water using a bipolar electrochemical system. The initial number of Bacillus subtilis spores used as a Cryptosporidium surrogate for water quality assessment was 102-104 spores/mL. The electrochemical reaction took 15 to 60 minutes to complete and occurred in the presence of 0.4 M of ethanol and 4 mg/L of KI and at a current density of 3-5 mA/cm2, at ambient temperature and with normal pH water. The findings suggest that, under optimal conditions of Bacillus subtilis spore removal, the synergistic effects of bipolar electrochemical reactions in the presence of KI and ethanol lead to a 32% reduction in energy consumption compared to when only a single electrochemical process is used.