Effect of a combined treatment using both direct and alternating electric currents on hide bacteria in hide-soak liquor

• Both DC and AC in sequence were applied on bacteria in soak liquors.
• The electric current treatment was effective to inactivate bacteria in soak liquor.
• This treatment system may be used in soaking processes of hides.

Inactivation effect of an electric current treatment combining both 188 μA/m2 DC and 251 μA/m2 AC on Gram negative, Gram positive bacteria and their mixed culture, which were isolated from hides, was separately analyzed. This electric treatment, applied for 16 min was found to be fairly effective in reducing the bacterial cell count (7.10–7.48 log10 colony forming units/mL) to a relatively low level (4.52–4.90 log10 colony forming units/mL). At this level bacterial damage to the hides is reduced in soak liquors. Cheap and efficient electric current may be applied to rapidly reduce the destructive bacterial populations in main hide-soak liquors.