The Echo-Desinfektor: Electro-chemical oxidation for disinfection of drinking water

This paper evaluates the efficiency of the electrochemical disinfection using titanium dioxide electrodes at low electrical current. We tested the influence of the physical parameters of the apparatus in operational conditions, the chemical and physical characteristics of the influent water and the type of microbial contaminants and their physiological condition. A slight but significant disinfection was obtained even without addition of chlorine, which is an innovation in electrochemical disinfection. At minor chlorine concentrations (1.5-5 ppm) we achieved a disinfecting efficiency varying between 30 and 100% depending on the process variables: water flow rate through the apparatus, electrical current set for the device, conductivity of the water, dimension of the electrodes and initial amount of bacteria applied. Increasing the chlorine concentration to 15 ppm, and applying proper experimental conditions, disinfection could be complete, up to a concentration of bacteria amounting to 3.0E+07 cfu/ml and still leaving the same extent of residual activity in case of recontamination of a previously treated sample. We also tested the apparatus for removal of biofilms previously formed in the water distribution system. This positive effect allowed to remove all biomass from the inside of the pipe-work.status: publishe