# Electrochemically Generated ROS Water for Rapid Disinfection and Biofilm Control in Real Waters

## TL;DR

A new electrochemical system generates ROS water to rapidly disinfect and control biofilms in various water types without chemicals.

## Contribution

A compact BDD-based electrochemical system is introduced for in situ ROS generation with effective microbial inactivation and biofilm disruption.

## Key findings

- ROS-on treatment reduced bacterial counts by 5–6 log10 across E. coli, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa.
- The system maintained disinfection efficacy in real water matrices like hand-washing and pond wastewater.
- ROS-treated water disrupted pre-formed biofilms in a time-dependent manner.

## Abstract

The intensifying global challenges of water scarcity and widespread microbial contamination underscore the urgent need for the development of efficient, chemical-free disinfection technologies. Here, we developed a compact boron-doped diamond (BDD)-based electrochemical water treatment system that generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) in situ and evaluated its antimicrobial performance using ROS-on/off controls. Bactericidal efficacy was assessed against representative Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli), Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), a clinically relevant Gram-negative pathogen with biofilm-forming and stress-resistant properties. Under ROS-on operation, viable counts were reduced from ~106 CFU/mL to near the detection limit, corresponding to 5–6 log10 reductions across all tested species, whereas ROS-off treatment showed negligible effects. The system retained strong disinfection activity in complex real water matrices, including hand-washing water, laboratory wastewater, and pond wastewater. ROS-treated water also disrupted pre-formed mono-species biofilms in a time-dependent manner, as assessed by crystal violet staining and semi-quantitative biomass analysis. A preliminary mouse exposure assessment did not reveal obvious histopathological abnormalities or hematological changes under the tested conditions. These results demonstrate that BDD-enabled electrochemical ROS water provides a rapid, reagent-free approach for bacterial inactivation and biofilm control, with potential applicability across diverse water-related settings, while acknowledging that further studies on complex natural microbial communities are warranted.