Pulsed Electric Field Inactivation of Microorganism Using Chambers With Different Electrode Topologies

Abstract

The effects of electrode topology on pulsed electric field (PEF) inactivation of microorganisms was investigated in the present study. Three PEF treatment chambers with different electrode topologies, which were parallel-plane, coaxial, and co-field respectively, were designed and built. PEF inactivation of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae suspension was conducted using these chambers with different electric field strength and a number of impulses. The performance of PEF inactivation was assessed by comparison of the population density of treated and untreated yeast samples. The results showed that the sterilization rate, as a function of the specific energy density, followed the same tendency regardless of the electrode topology, electric field strength, or the number of impulses. This strong correlation suggested that the specific energy density (energy per unit mass) could play a dominant role in the PEF inactivation of microorganisms once the threshold field strength was reached.