A generalized model for bacterial disinfection: Stochastic approach

•A novel stochastic model for bacterial disinfection is proposed.•The stochastic model is based on a generalized rate expression.•The model spawns linear and non-linear cases of the process’ governing equation.•The generalized stochastic model tends to exhibit superior predictive capability.

This work proposes a novel, generalized model for bacterial disinfection formulated in light of a stochastic paradigm. The model’s formulation is based on an intensity of transition that is proportional to the product of general power functions of the bacteria’s number concentration and time; thus, the generalized stochastic model embodies the results obtained from our earlier models. The proposed model gives rise to linear and non-linear cases of the master equation whose solution can be obtained analytically as well as numerically via Monte Carlo simulation. Moreover, the generalized stochastic model has been validated with a specific instance of bacterial disinfection. The model’s analytical and numerical results are in excellent accord among themselves as well as with those obtained from our earlier models; in addition, the model’s results tend to describe the available experimental data reasonably well.