In recent years there has been renewed interest in the use of air ionisers to control the spread of airborne infection. In particular, results from a clinical trial in an intensive care unit suggest that negative air ions may have the potential to control some hospital acquired infections (HAIs) [1]. One characteristic of 'air' ions which has been widely reported is their apparent biocidal action. Over many years, various researchers have reported that 'air' ions inhibit the growth of Penicillium notatum [2,3], Neurospora crassa [3], Serratia marcescens [4], "Staphylococcus albus" [5], Candida albicans [6], Escherichia coli [7], Pseudomonas veronii [8], Aspergillus versicolor [9], Enterococcus malodoratus [9], Staphylococcus chromogenes [9] and Sarcina flava [9]. However, while this body of work collectively suggests a biocidal effect in the presence of ions, in both air [2-7,9] and nitrogen [7,8], the physical and biological mechanisms involved remain unclear. In particular, it is not clear which of several possible mechanisms of electrical origin (i.e. the action of the ions, the production of ozone, or the action of the electric field) are responsible for cell death. A study was therefore undertaken to clarify this issue and to determine the physical mechanisms associated with microbial cell death. In this study seven bacterial species were exposed to both positive and negative ions in the presence of air for various durations and the bactericidal effects recorded.
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