BACTERICIDAL EFFECT OF H- IONS GENERATED BY WATER DISSOCIATION USING THE ION-EXCHANGE MEMBRANE ELECTRODIALYSIS SYSTEM( AND OH)

A new electrodialysis system was designed to examine the disinfection effect of H+ and OH- ions separately. The electrodialysis system consi sts of six compartments in which one compartment is partitioned by a p air of same polar membranes (cation-cation or anion-anion ion exchange membranes). The disinfection effects of H+ and OH- ions were investig ated in detail on Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Bacte ria with negative charge were moved by electrophoresis toward the anio n exchange membrane with positive charge and adsorped on the membrane forming a negatively charged layer. A pronounced decrease in the limit ing current density of the anion exchange membrane occurred due to the formation of the negatively charged layer. The water dissociation was accelerated by the increase in the true current density due to the ad sorption of bacteria which resulted in the reduction in the effective surface area. It was suggested from the finding that the principle fac tor of the lethal damage to Escherichia coli cells was ascribable to t he drastic increase in H+ ions produced by the accerelation of water d issociation.