Electrochemically Activated Water as a Sanitising Agent in the Beverage Industry: A Critical Assessment

Master of Science Thesis by Ennie Muchelemba

Supervisor Prof. Gary Amy (UNESCO-IHE)

Mentors Dr. B. Petrusevski, Associate Prof. (UNESCO-IHE) Dr. K. Ghebremichael (UNESCO-IHE)

Examination committee Prof. Gary Amy (UNESCO-IHE), Chairman Dr. K. Ghebremichael (UNESCO-IHE) Associate Prof. B. Petrusevski (UNESCO-IHE) Johannes A. Siepert (BEVTECHNOLOGIE GmbH)
This research is done for the partial fulfilment of requirements for the Master of Science degree at the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, Delft, the Netherlands

Delft May 2009

Abstract
The main sanitizer, long recognised to have high disinfection efficiency in the beverage industry is chlorine normally as sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). When it reacts with water, it forms hypochlorous acid, which is an extremely potent bactericidal agent. Nonetheless, re-evaluation of its use in the beverage industry has been considered because it imparts taste and odour as well as creates storage and transportation problems due to the high concentrations required for sanitization. Recently electrochemically activated (ECA) water emerged as one of the alternatives to chlorination in water treatment. The beverage industry has also considered its use implementing it through a process referred to as Cleaning-inPlace. However consensus has not been reached on the applicability of ECA as a disinfectant to replace chlorine. On one hand, some researchers claim this is by and large a chlorine solution. On the other hand, other researchers recognise its higher disinfection efficiency attributing it to the presence of reactive oxygen species such as ozone and hydroxyl radicals. But even within this group, some have limited the contribution of these species to direct current because of their short life and more so because they are produced in minute quantities in relation to the chlorine species. The study employed an in depth literature review related to the use of ECA as a disinfectant or sanitizer. In parallel, experimental work was carried out to compare NaOCl with ECA by means of disinfection efficiency, THM formation and stability tests. These tests were carried out under different process conditions such as varying pH values, disinfectant concentrations and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations. The experiments were carried out using de-ionised water or Milli-Q water and Delft tap water. Findings from this study indicated that ECA has higher disinfection efficiency than NaOCl in de-ionised water or Milli-Q water at pH 5 and 7. This was further enhanced with increase in concentration. The presence of organic matter, on the other hand diminished this observed superiority. With further increase in DOC its disinfection efficiency, THM formation potential and stability became comparable to that of NaOCl. Also, a very small quantity of ozone in comparison to chlorine was measured in freshly generated ECA solutions. At low temperatures, between 35C, for an observation period of thirty days, 40 mg/l ECA decayed by 5 percent while NaOCl of the same concentration decayed by 37.5 percent. This was in the absence of DOC.

Keywords: Electrochemically activated water, disinfection, plant sanitation, beverage industry, THM formation, stability of disinfectants.