Electrodialytic Inactivation of Bacteriophage Using Ion Exchange Resins

Abstract

A novel electrochemical disinfecting cell was developed in which the electrodialysis and ion-exchange resins were combined and offered to the inactivation of bacteriophage. The cell was composed of 6 compartments and either side of the center compartment was partitioned by two similar ion-exchange membranes. In addition, the compartment was stuffed with the same type of the ion-exchange resins as the ion-exchange membranes, i.e. the anion-exchange resins for the anion-exchange membrane compartment (A || A) and the cation-exchange resins for the cation-exchange membrane compartment (C || C). The characteristic feature of the cell was that the salt concentration was kept constant either in the C || C or in the A || A compartments. Only inactivation effect due to the current flow can be revealed in such compartments and the effect of either the electrode materials or the electrolytic products was completely avoided. The significant inactivation of bacteriophage was observed in the A || A compartment in which OH⁻ or Cl⁻ type ion-exchange resins were stuffed. The inactivation effect in the C || C compartment was hardly observed. According to the finding, the inactivation in the A || A compartment was found to occur due to the current flow through the body of bacteriophage itself.