New semi-pilot-scale reactor to study the photocatalytic inactivation of phages contained in aerosol

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 25; no. 22; pp. 21385 - 21392
• Main Authors: Briggiler Marcó, Mariángeles, Negro, Antonio Carlos, Alfano, Orlando Mario, Quiberoni, Andrea del Luján
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-08-2018
• Subjects: Advances in Environmental Biotechnology and Engineering 2016; Aerosols; Air Microbiology; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bacteriophages; Bioreactors; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Lactobacillus plantarum - virology; Titanium; Ultraviolet Rays; Virus Inactivation; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Lactic acid bacteria; Photocatalytic reactor; Fermented dairy products; Dairy industry; Phage inactivation; Bioaerosols
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-8994-5

The aims of this work were to design and build a photocatalytic reactor (UV-A/TiO
2
) to study the inactivation of phages contained in bioaerosols, which constitute the main dissemination via phages in industrial environments. The reactor is a close system with recirculation that consists of a stainless steel camera (cubic form, side of 60 cm) in which air containing the phage particles circulates and an acrylic compartment with six borosilicate plates covered with TiO
2
. The reactor is externally illuminated by 20 UV-A lamps. Both compartments are connected by a fan to facilitate the sample circulation. Samples are injected into the camera using two piston nebulizers working in series whereas several methodologies for sampling (impinger/syringe, sampling on photocatalytic plates, and impact of air on slide) were assayed. The reactor setup was carried out using phage B1 (
Lactobacillus plantarum
), and assays demonstrated a decrease of phage counts of 2.7 log orders after 1 h of photocatalytic treatment. Photonic efficiencies of inactivation were assessed by phage sampling on the photocatalytic plates or by impact of air on a glass slide at the photocatalytic reactor exit. Efficiencies of the same order of magnitude were observed using both sampling methods. This study demonstrated that the designed photocatalytic reactor is effective to inactivate phage B1 (
Lb. plantarum
) contained in bioaerosols.