Inactivation of microorganisms in a flow-through photoreactor with an immobilized TiO2 layer

Abstract

A laboratory flow-through photoreactor with an immobilized layer of TiO2 (total volume of the liquid 5000 cm 3, photoactive area 60 cm long and 30 cm wide; irradiation source UV lamps Eversun, Osram, light intensity from 0.9 to 6.2×10−9 Einstein cm−2 s −1) was tested for the inactivation of Escherichia coli (strain DH5α) and bacteriophage λNM1149. The kinetics of the deactivation were approximately first order and the initial reaction rate depended on the light intensity. At maximum intensity, the rate constants of the bacteria and viruses inactivation were 2.3×10−4 and 7.2×10−4 s−1, respectively. Bacterial inactivation was also accomplished with solar excitation. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry