This is an award to support research on a sufficiently large scale to determine the technical and commercial feasibility of using pulsed electrical fields for disinfection of water, wastewater and sludges derived from treatment of wastewater. The project consists of design and fabrication of a small, prototype pulsing device and treatment cell; study of the disinfection rate as a function of pulse amplitude, pulse width, rise-time and repetition, fluid characteristics including temperature and pH; and design of a modular system that could be utilized in potential commercialization of the process. This is an award for support of Phase II of a project, Phase I of which was initiated under NSF Grant No. 90-60060 under conditions stated in the Program Solicitation. Results are expected to provide the basis for engineering design of a device that can apply the proposed innovative process for use in environmental engineering processes for disinfection of fluids and may find potential use in deinfestation of food products and sterilization of pharmaceuticals.
