Microwave synchronous excitation of strong electric field and electrodeless ultraviolet radiation for effective air disinfection

Abstract

Airborne pathogens in densely populated indoor environments threaten public health, yet traditional ultraviolet disinfection suffers from photoreactivation-induced microbial regrowth. This study developed a synergistic air disinfection strategy simultaneously generating strong electric fields and electrodeless ultraviolet radiation through microwave synchronization. Microwave electric fields achieved 2.02 and 1.65 log inactivation of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, respectively; individual ultraviolet irradiation achieved 2.85 and 2.10 log. Under combined treatment (150 W microwave, 0.8 mW/cm² UV), inactivation rates reached 4.98 and 4.32 log, exceeding the arithmetic sum of individual treatments (4.87 and 3.75 log) by 47% and 32%. Mechanistically, electric fields induced membrane electroporation while UV caused DNA damage; the dual attack inhibited photoreactivation and repair. COMSOL simulations confirmed that experimental 150 W conditions generated localized 14 kV/cm fields, causing cell wall transmembrane potential to exceed the 1.0 V threshold while cytoplasmic membranes remained sub-threshold due to outer envelope shielding, confirming spatial selectivity. Response surface optimization reduced energy consumption by 42%. These findings establish a theoretical framework for next-generation air disinfection systems.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Disinfection / Microwave / Strong electric field / Ultraviolet light / Electroporation / Photoreactivation inhibition

Highlight

	● Reactor synchronizing microwave-excited fields & UV was developed for air disinfection.
	● > 4.9 log inactivation was achieved, outperforming single treatments by over 30%.
	● Photoreactivation and membrane repair were inhibited via the attack of EF and UV.
	● Selective electroporation at cell walls spared cytoplasmic membranes via shielding.

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