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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Bioproducts Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #104482
Title: CHLORINE GENERATION AND DISINFECTION BY ELECTROFLOTATION

Author
item Hernlem, Bradley - Brad
item Tsai, Lee

Submitted to: Journal of Food Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/10/2000
Publication Date: 7/1/2000
Citation: Hernlem, B.J., Tsai, L.-S. 2000. Chlorine Generation and Disinfection by Electroflotation. Journal of Food Science. 65(4):834-837.

Interpretive Summary: In order to ensure and protect the public safety, food processing operations must be designed to reduce the incidence of pathogenic contamination. Improving the quality of food process water is one means to accomplish this goal. It was found that electroflotation is a promising technology for simultaneous disinfection and removal of contaminating substances in food process water. Furthermore, by control of operation conditions, these two functions can be independently optimized. Electroflotation may be applied t beneficial use in process water reuse and even in direct processing of fluid food products. The technology, therefore, has direct value for producers and processors but also benefits consumers by promoting food safety.

Technical Abstract: Electroflotation is a promising technology for simultaneous disinfection and removal of flotable constituents of food process water or fluid products. A bench-scale electroflotation apparatus was constructed. The device demonstrated that disinfection was affected by the presence of chloride and the applied current. It was effective in disinfecting E., coli when chloride was present at levels at least 5.6 mg L-1 at 0.8 A but not at 0.1 A even with 260 mg L-1 chloride. Experiments on salt solutions showed that chlorine generation efficiency increased with chloride up to 260 mg L-1 and also with current, reaching a constant value above 0.4 A. Gas generation efficiency was relatively constant. Appropriate selection of operating conditions may allow optimization of disinfection and separation in electroflotation.