The Influence of Electromagnetic Field on Viability of Marine Microalgae Tetraselmis Suecica and Bacteria Escherichia Coli and Enterococcus Faecalis

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine whether the use of the electromagnetic field (EMF) of 50 Hz frequency and magnetic induction of 0.25 T could make for successful inactivation of a phytoplankton species, namely, marine microalgae Tetraselmis suecica and two bacteria strains; Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis. A number of laboratory electromagnetic field tolerance experiments with the selected organisms was performed; each microorganism was treated for various lengths of time; 1, 5 and 10 minutes, and in three various media with special regards to the conductivity. Bacteria were exposed to high, moderate and extremely low conductivity media, and the microalgae to high, low and extremely low conductivity media. The microbial viability was checked by counting the bacterial colony forming units, as well as alive and dead stained microalgae cells. It was found that the time of exposure to the EMF had a profound effect on the viability of T. suecica only in the extremely low conductivity media, and that it did not affect the viability of E. coli or E. faecalis at all.

Keywords

• microorganisms
• magnetic treatment
• conductivity