Operando investigation of the synergistic effect of electric field treatment and copper for bacteria inactivation.

As the overuse of chemicals in our disinfection processes becomes an ever-growing concern, alternative approaches to reduce and replace the usage of chemicals is warranted. Electric field treatment has shown promising potential to have synergistic effects with standard chemical-based methods as they both target the cell membrane specifically. In this study, we use a lab-on-a-chip device to understand, observe, and quantify the synergistic effect between electric field treatment and copper inactivation. Observations in situ, and at a single cell level, ensure us that the combined approach has an enhancement effect leading more bacteria to be weakened by electric field treatment and susceptible to inactivation by copper ion permeation. The synergistic effects of electric field treatment and copper can be visually concluded here, enabling the further study of this technology to optimally develop, mature, and scale for its various applications in the future.

Airborne pathogenic microorganisms and air cleaning technology development: A review.

Transmission of pathogens through air is a critical pathway for the spread of airborne diseases, as airborne pathogenic microorganisms cause several harmful infections. This review summarizes the occurrence, transmission, and adverse impacts of airborne pathogenic microorganisms that spread over large distances via bioaerosols. Air cleaning technologies have demonstrated great potential to prevent and reduce the spread of airborne diseases. The recent advances in air cleaning technologies are summarized on the basis of their advantages, disadvantages, and adverse health effects with regard to the inactivation mechanisms. The application scope and energy consumption of different technologies are compared, and the characteristics of air cleaners in the market are discussed. The development of high-efficiency, low-cost, dynamic air cleaning technology is identified as the leading research direction of air cleaning. Furthermore, future research perspectives are discussed and further development of current air cleaning technologies is proposed.