Application of immobilized TiO2 photocatalysis to improve the inactivation of Heterosigma akashiwo in ballast water by intense pulsed light.

Ballast water exotic discharge has been identified as a leading vector for marine species invasion. Here immobilized TiO2 photocatalysis is introduced to improve the performance of intense pulsed light. For intense pulsed light/TiO2 photocatalysis, a typical inactivation of 99.89±0.46% can be achieved under treatment condition of 1.78 L min(-1) flow rate, 300 V pulse peak voltage, 15 Hz pulse frequency and 5 ms pulse width. Moreover, within tested 220-260 V peak voltage, 18.37-40.51% elevation in inactivation is observed in comparison with intense pulsed light treatment alone. The rough energy consumption of the tested intense pulsed light/TiO2 treatment system is about 1.51-2.51 times higher than that of the typical commercial UV ballast water treatment system. The stability of the photocatalytic reactivity and intactness of loaded TiO2 film is proved within 20-d's test, while local erosion on stainless steel support is observed after 30-d's test. The results indicate that intense pulsed light/TiO2 photocatalysis is likely to be a competitive ballast water treatment technique, while further measures is needed to reduce the energy consumption and ensure the performance of TiO2 film in a long run.