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Interaction forces between waterborne bacteria and activated carbon particles.

Henk J Busscher1, Rene J B Dijkstra, Don E Langworthy

  • 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Medical Center Groningen, and University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands.

Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
|April 15, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Activated carbons remove bacteria from water via attractive forces, overcoming repulsion. Positively charged carbons and coconut carbons showed higher bacterial adhesion, improving water purification.

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Microbiology
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Activated carbons are used to remove waterborne bacteria from drinking water.
  • Removal mechanisms involve attractive Lifshitz-van der Waals forces, despite electrostatic repulsion between negatively charged bacteria and carbon surfaces.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify interaction forces between bacteria and differently charged activated carbons.
  • To investigate the influence of carbon surface charge and porosity on bacterial adhesion.

Main Methods:

  • Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) was used to measure interaction forces.
  • Carbon particles were attached to AFM cantilevers to probe bacterial surfaces.
  • Experiments involved waterborne bacteria (Raoultella terrigena, Escherichia coli) and various activated carbons (mesoporous wood-based, microporous coconut).

Main Results:

  • Weak adhesion forces (1-2 nN) were observed between bacteria and activated carbons.
  • The percentage of attractive interaction sites varied significantly (21-69%) across different carbon types and bacterial strains.
  • Higher adhesion percentages were noted for positively charged carbons and coconut carbon, particularly with R. terrigena.

Conclusions:

  • Bacterial removal efficiency by mesoporous carbons correlates with the percentage of attractive interaction sites.
  • Surface charge and pore structure of activated carbons are critical factors in bacterial adhesion and removal from water.
  • Understanding these forces can optimize activated carbon-based water treatment technologies.