The Effect of the Pressure Shock Wave and Some Electrical Quantities in the Microbicidal Effect of Transient Electric Arcs in Aqueous Systems

Abstract

SUMMARY Micro-organisms in aqueous suspensions were killed when voltages above a certain threshold value were discharged through electrodes immersed in the suspensions. The relation of the peak pressure, peak current and the arcing time to the killing effect were studied, but no clear-cut relationship was ascertained. At the discharges shock waves with durations of 20–105 μsec. and pressure amplitudes of 40–250 bar were generated. Although bigger and more solid objects were considerably damaged, the micro-organisms were inconspicuously affected by the pressure shock wave alone.