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초록

This study examined the effect of ultraviolet (UV) application on bacterial disinfection in a commercialized humidifier using ultrasonic wave (UW). To accurately examine disinfection kinetics in tap-water condition, tap-water was sterilized using a filter, and then inoculated with pure cultures of E. coli and P. putida with known viable counts. The disinfection kinetic characteristics were experimentally compared when UV alone, UW alone, and UW+UV together were applied in disinfecting the added bacteria in the commercialized humidifier. When UV alone was applied, bacterial disinfection kinetics followed a first-order decay reaction, and showed an approximately 10-time weaker disinfection compared to the typical UV disinfection in water treatment or wastewater treatment. When UW alone was applied, bacterial disinfection kinetics followed a second-order decay reaction with a low disinfection rate constant of 0.0002 min-1(CFU/mL)-1. When UV and UW were applied together, however and interestingly, the disinfection rate constant (0.0211 min-1(CFU/mL)-1) was approximately 100 times increased than that for the UW alone case. These results revealed that the co-use of UV and UW can provide synergistic effect on bacterial disinfection in a tap-water condition in household humidifiers.