An electrochemical disinfection system employing a honeycombed platinum coated titanium electrode was developed for the disinfection of seawater. Cell suspensions (2 l, 10³ cells/ml) of the fish pathogens, Vibrio alginolyticus, Edwardsiella tarda, Lactococcus garvieae and Vibrio anguillarum were circulated in a reactor equipped with 10 sets of these electrodes at a flow rate of 200 ml/min with an applied potential of 1.0 V vs. Ag/AgCl reference electrode. The circulated cells were completely disinfected after 3 h of treatment, whereas free residual chlorine generated due to seawater electrolysis was below 0.1 ppm. In addition, a diphenyl-1-pyrenylphosphine fluorescent assay revealed that lipid peroxidation in the cell membranes of disinfected bacteria was induced probably by reactive oxygen species generated during electrochemical treatment.
Keywords: Disinfection byproducts; Electrochemical disinfection; Flow reactor; Lipid peroxidation; Marine pathogen.
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