Mechanistic modelling of solar disinfection (SODIS) kinetics of Escherichia coli, enhanced with H2O2 – part 1: The dark side of peroxide

The present bi-partite work describes the development and validation of a mechanistic kinetic model SODIS E. coli inactivation, enhanced with H2O2. In this first part, mechanism baseline dark phenomena is modelled. A involving cellular respiration, inactivation due to HO· O2·- radicals, bacterial thermal was developed using series-event based on accumulation damage cell recovery corrected Arrhenius equation for inclusion events. contribution external H2O2 included in internal balance, while balance extracellular considered consumption caused by its self-decomposition, interactions cells’ membrane, organic matter from dead cells. Specifically, parameters sinks, oxidation reaction intracellular Fenton, were independently estimated regression experimental data at different controlled conditions temperature initial concentration. We complemented values constants available literature unknown experiemetnal data. missing successfully validated (bacteria error = 4.5%, 12.9%). This helps understand mechanisms contributions each source role radicals’ being most important temperatures below 40 °C, above value.