Effect of Electrical Potential on the Bactericidal Behavior of Yeast on a Carbon Fiber Electrode

Electrochemical disinfection was studied using carbon fiber electrodes with Saccharomyces cerevisiae to which the electric potential was applied.Effective disinfection was obtained by applying the electric potential over 0.7V (vs. SCE) onto the carbon fiber electrodes.The mechanism of disinfection was discussed in terms of the two electrolysis potentials 1.0V (relatively low potential) and 1.5V.With the relatively low electrolysis potential around 1.0V, it appears that disinfection was accomplished by the electron transfer between the microbial cells and the electrode surface, although the process required a relatively long period of electrolysis (about 24 hours).With the electrolysis over 1.5V, results indicated that effective disinfection was successfully performed by both the action of active chlorine and of an acidic atmosphere that were produced by electrolysis.Electrochemical disinfection was clearly observed even in phosphate buffer solutions (Cl-free).This tinding suggests that other active species except active chlorine were produced by electrolysis.