Inactivation of microorganisms in a flow-through photoreactor with an immobilized TiO2 layer

A laboratory flow-through photoreactor with an immobilized layer of TiO2 (t otal volume of the liquid 5000 cm(3), photoactive area 60 cm long and 30 cm wide; irradiation source UV lamps Eversun, Osram, light intensity from 0.9 to 6.2 x 10(-9) Einstein cm(-2) s(-1)) was tested for the inactivation of Escherichia coli (strain DH5 alpha) and bacteriophage lambda NM1149. The ki netics of the deactivation were approximately first order and the initial r eaction rate depended on the light intensity. At maximum intensity, the rat e constants of the bacteria and viruses inactivation were 2.3 x 10(-4) and 7.2 x 10(-4) s(-1), respectively. Bacterial inactivation was also accomplis hed with solar excitation. (C) 1999 Society of Chemical Industry.