Elimination of Vibrio parahaemolyticus biofilms on crab and shrimp surfaces using ultraviolet C irradiation coupled with sodium hypochlorite and slightly acidic electrolyzed water

Abstract Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a biofilm-producing seafood-borne pathogen that causes gastrointestinal disease in humans. Therefore, our study aimed to assess the elimination effects (alone or in combination) of ultraviolet C (UV-C; 5 to 60 mW×s/cm2) irradiation, sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl; 50 to 300 ppm), and slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW; 1 to 15 min) on V. parahaemolyticus biofilms on crab and shrimp surfaces. SAEW alone had more significant effects than NaOCl even though it contained lower free chlorine concentrations. The combined UV-C/NaOCl treatment exhibited a significant (P