Abstract
Working on a dielectrophoresis experimental system assembled in our laboratory, we find that the bacteria, Escherichia coli, can be efficiently removed from drinking water by the system. Synthetic water samples of 300 mL of E. coli were treated for 20 min at a flow rate of 1 L/h. The removal efficiency reaches 95.24% high at the voltage of 6 V, and 100% at 15 V. As the technique is featured by its simplicity and low cost for water treatment, it promises a rapid, affordable, and industry-scale removal of E. coli and other similar pathogenic microorganisms from drinking water.