Electrochemical disinfection using the gas di usion electrode system
Wenying Xu , Ping Li , Bin Dong
DOI:
Received May 04, 2009,Revised July 06, 2009, Accepted , Available online
Volume 22,2010,Pages 204-210
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A study on the electrochemical disinfection with H2O2 generated at the gas di usion electrode (GDE) from active carbon/polytetrafluoroethylene
was performed in a non-membrane cell. The e ects of Pt load and the pore-forming agent content in GDE, and
operating conditions were investigated. The experimental results showed that nearly all bacterial cultures inoculated in the secondary
e uent from wastewater treatment plant could be inactivated within 30 min at a current density of 10 mA/cm2. The disinfection
improved with increasing Pt load. Addition of the pore-forming agent NH4HCO3 improved the disinfection, while a drop in the pH
value resulted in a rapid rise of germicidal e cacy and the disinfection time was shortened with increasing oxygen flow rate. Adsorption
was proved to be ine ective in destroying bacteria, while germicidal e cacy increased with current density. The acceleration rate
was di erent, it initially increased with current density. Then decreased, and finally reached a maximum at a current density of 6.7
mA/cm2. The disinfection also improved with decreasing total bacterial count. The germicidal e cacy in the cathode compartment was
approximately the same as in the anode compartment, indicating that the contribution of direct oxidation and the indirect treatment of
bacterial cultures by hydroxyl radical was similar to the oxidative indirect e ect of the generated H2O2.
