Press release, Sept 9, 2010

Mini Pulsed Electric Field Device for Water Disinfection

2014-11-14T09:07:35Z

HKUST Develops Mini Pulsed Electric Field Device for Water Disinfection Environment Professor Elected as Fellow by American Industrial Hygiene Association

(http://www.ust.hk/about-hkust/media-relations/press-releases/hkust-develops-mini-pulsed-electric-field-device-water-disinfection-environment-professor-elected-fellow-american-industrial-hygiene-association-2/)

16-07-2014

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has invented a mini pulsed electric field device which could reduce more than 90 percent of bacteria in the running tap water in a few seconds. The technology is a possible way to help control the spread of water-borne diseases such as Legionellosis caused by microbial contamination of water.

The research was carried out by a collaborative team led by Prof King-Lun Yeung, Associate Dean of the School of Engineering, Professor of Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Division of Environment, and Prof Joseph Kwan, Director of Health, Safety and Environment Office and Adjunct Professor of Division of Environment. Prof Joseph Kwan was recently elected as Fellow by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) for his significant contributions to the field of industrial safety, hygiene and infectious control.

Microbiological water pollution is known to be a cause of water pollution. Some common waterborne pathogens are Pseudomonas, Aeromonas, Mycobacterium and Legionella bacteria. There have been a number of cases of Legionella bacteria being detected in new buildings in Hong Kong. Water disinfection technologies such as chlorination, ozonation, heating and reverse osmosis are now widely used in drinking water disinfection. However, high concentrations of chlorine produce pungent smell and unwanted toxic by-products; while heating and reverse osmosis can be effective but energy consuming and expensive.

The new pulse electric field disinfection technology can kill the bacteria by damaging their microbial cell wall with the electric field and render them non-infective. Current technology uses high-input voltage pulse electric field as the key disinfection parameter, which can use up to a hundred thousand volt and create a potential electrical hazard to operators. The device invented by the HKUST research team is designed to use low-input voltage. The portable battery-powered device can be installed at home and any public tap water system. It is cost-effective, environmentally-friendly and safe for the point-of-use disinfection of tap water. The research team is currently conducting an on-site testing in a public hospital.

Prof Kwan is an expert researcher in infection control for 30 years, promoting industrial safety and hygiene in different areas including occupational health and safety, environmental management, fire safety, biology, chemistry and radiation safety. He has applied the new technologies in the medical sector, controlling the spread of contagious diseases. During the outbreak of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), he proposed tackling the virus from its origin, and curbed its spreading through local exhaust ventilation. The device he created is still in use today at the chest clinics under the Department of Health and the Infectious Disease Center under the Hospital Authority. Together with Prof Kin-Lun Yeung, they developed a smart anti-microbial coating which has a long-lasting effect against a wide range of microbe, the coating is now used by eight public hospitals in Hong Kong. In another research, he worked with Prof Christopher Chao, Head of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, on aerosol transmission and infection risk. The research has since influenced the design of the ventilation systems in buildings and aircrafts.

Prof Kwan has been promoting a healthy and safety culture at HKUST. With his support, the University has received two awards from the National Safety Council, USA, for outstanding organization and performance in safety management and the setup of a multi-purpose Eco-Park for teaching and research to promote sustainability. Prof Kwan was recently elected as Fellow by the AIHA for his significant contributions. He is the first expert in the Greater China area to earn this prestigious honor.

Prof King-Lun Yeung (third left), Prof Joseph Kwan (second left) and the research team.

Mini pulsed electric field device invented by HKUST.

For media enquiries, please feel free to contact:

Ella Au Yeung
Tel: 2358 6306
Email: ellaauyeung@ust.hk

HKUST Develops World's First Smart Anti-microbial Coating to Control Infectious Diseases

2010-09-13T05:23:38Z

HKUST Develops World's First Smart Anti-microbial Coating to Control Infectious Diseases

Link: http://www.ust.hk/eng/news/press_20100909-806.html

(University news 09/09/2010) The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today announced the successful development of a smart anti-microbial coating that has the longest-lasting effect against the widest range of microbes.

"This revolutionary coating will set a new standard in the maintenance of public health, as it is easy to apply, safe to use, fast and effective in killing a wide spectrum of microbes, long-lasting, and environmentally friendly," said Prof King-Lun Yeung of HKUST's Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

"This will have monumental effect on curbing the spread of infections on a global basis. With increasing mobility, we are under increasing exposure to dangerous disease-causing microbes, such as viruses, bacteria, fungi and spores. Meanwhile, the heightened emergence of antibiotics-resistant micro-organisms presents another major global public health challenge," said Prof Joseph Kwan, Director of Health, Safety and Environment Office and Adjunct Professor in the Division of Environment at HKUST.

"As contaminated surfaces are common vehicles for the spread of microbes, keeping surfaces clean in public areas is essential in controlling the spread of infections through physical contact," Prof Kwan added.

The smart anti-microbial coating was invented by HKUST's research team comprising Prof King-Lun Yeung, Prof Joseph Kwan, Prof Arthur Lau and their research assistants. It has a range of qualities that are unrivaled anywhere in the world.

Transparent, colorless and odorless, this smart coating can sustain surface disinfection by simply spraying on a broad array of surfaces, including glass, metals, ceramics, wood, concrete, paper and cloth.

Compared with conventional disinfecting coatings, the coating is effective for at least 30 days. It disinfects practically a full spectrum of microbes in body fluids, including saliva and blood.

According to test results, this smart coating can kill 99.9% of bacteria within one minute, 99% of H1N1 Human Swine Flu virus within three minutes, 99 % of bacillus spores within 30 minutes, and also inhibit mold and fungal growth.

The effectiveness of this coating lasts significantly longer than the conventional disinfectants, many of which will lose their function as they evaporate. On the other hand, laboratory tests showed that this smart coating is indeed capable of long-term effective surface disinfection with 100% effectiveness even after 30 days. This fast, long-lasting and broad-spectrum disinfecting coating is far superior to products available in the market today.

Besides, the smart polymer of the coating can rapidly respond to contamination from touch or droplets. Whenever our hands touch the coating, or droplets land on the coated surface, it will sense the increase in temperature from the body heat or moisture from drops, and automatically release a larger amount of disinfectant to inactivate the disease-causing microbes. This prevents another person touching the same surface from picking up the germs, become infected, and further spread the disease.

In addition, the smart coating is easy to apply and easy to remove. A simple sprayer can be used to apply the coating liquid on the desired surface. Meanwhile, the coating can be removed by washing off with detergent-in-water solution.

Approved by US Environmental Protection Agency and US Food and Drug Administration, the ingredients of this coating are non-toxic and do not lead to any observable skin reaction. Besides, the biodegradable coating does not pose any threat to the environment.

"By stopping this route of infection, disease transmission can be better controlled. This is particularly significant as there are more and more antibiotic resistant pathogenic microorganisms such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus appearing in our community and elsewhere. The use of a smart surface coating, coupled with good hand hygiene, can help to curb the spread of these deadly microorganisms,"Prof Yeung said.

Each year, about one billion people worldwide suffer from influenza infection with fatalities reaching half a million. These figures will further increase whenever a new strain of virus emerges. Hand, foot and mouth disease is another global public health threat, and in China alone, 1.3 million cases were recorded in the first 8 months of this year. It is hoped that the anti-microbial coating developed by HKUST will make a significant contribution to addressing this issue.

With the funding support from William Mong Institute of Nano Science and Technology, and Innovation and Technology Fund, the research on this smart anti-microbial coating started in 2003. A series of field tests will soon be conducted to explore the economic feasibility of launching this smart coating to the market.

Meanwhile, patent applications have been made in the US, Mainland China, and Taiwan.

Link: http://www.ust.hk/eng/news/press_20100909-806.html