Electrosorptive disinfection of Escherichia coli (E. coli) aqueous solutions by activated carbon monolith electrodes

Electrosorption, which can be defined as adsorption onto the surfaces of charged electrodes, has been developing as an efficient and environmentally friendly technology for removing toxic pollutants from aqueous solutions. In this study, an industrial process was used for the fabrication of activated carbon electrodes (ACEs). An electroless metal deposition method was used for the modification of activated carbon granules with silver (Ag) for antibacterial activity of electrodes. The antibacterial activity of Ag-modified–ACEs (Ag–ACEs) for Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria commonly found in water was tested. Adsorption and electrosorption behaviors of E. coli aqueous solutions onto ACEs and Ag–ACEs were examined in a cyclic electrosorption system. It has been concluded that the performance of Ag–ACEs is better than ACEs as an electrode for electrosorption of E. coli. Moreover polarization can significantly enhance the removal efficiency of E. coli on both ACEs and Ag–ACEs. Finally, electrosorption capacity of the system for E. coli was determined.