Tests of the LED Light Activated Titanium Dioxide Bench-Scale Ballast Water Treatment Process

Abstract

This technical report presents findings from bench-scale tests evaluating the performance of the LED Light Activated Titanium Dioxide Technology, hereafter LED TiO2, developed by YJB LED Professional Services of Crosslake, Minnesota, USA. Researchers conducted the bench-scale evaluation beginning in July 2019 and ending in September 2019 at the Lake Superior Research Institute (LSRI) of the University of Wisconsin-Superior (UWS) in Superior, Wisconsin, USA. The LED TiO2 treatment process applies light emitting diodes (LED) to activate a photocatalytic coating that creates a bacteriostatic, fungistatic, and algastatic environment. Biological effectiveness testing was completed with the algae, Selenastrum capricornutum and pathogen indicator organisms, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecium in lab water. The system was found to be effective at treating microbes in highly-transparent/low-suspended solids water, but was less effective at treating algae.