Pulsed Electric Fields Inactivation of Vegetative Bacteria in Drinking Water Utilizing Magnetic Pulse Compressor Technology

The increasing demand for clean drinking water has significantly intensified the need for long lifetime, inexpensive water sterilization systems. With bottled water increasing in popularity, purity regulations need to be reconsidered. Contrary to popular opinion bottled water can contain high concentrations of bacteria; this concern must be addressed. Magnetic pulse compressors for PEF applications are a possible solution, due to their notably high lifetime, compact size, reliability and repetition-rates. The application of these systems for the purification of water needs to be explored further. The use of the short duration electrical pulses from the magnetic pulse compressor for inactivation of bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) in drinking water is being investigated at the University of Missouri-Columbia. This contaminant is considered extremely pathogenic under the right circumstances, making the increase in demand for unregulated bottled water a growing cause for concern. Coupled with the demand for clean drinking water, inexpensive water treatment systems based on high rep- rate magnetic pulse compression technology could play a significant role in point of use systems. The test cell used in this study allows static and flowing tests for pulse widths of 100-500 ns. The viability of the bacteria after treatment is assayed after a specific number of pulses are applied. The protocols, restrictions, and test data for this study are presented.