Ozone Disinfection
Posted by Administrator on 12/14/2009
In today's world of stricter drinking water disinfection standards
there is a search for disinfection solutions that abide by the new
standards while keeping the disinfection operation cost-efficient and
safe. Ozone disinfection has the potential not only to meet but also to
exceed the limits. Along with disinfection, the use of ozone for
drinking water treatment can also have many other benefits such as taste
and color removal, iron and manganese removal, and insecticide removal.
What Mother Nature performs, science tries to duplicate and then
works to improve upon. Ozone, created by a natural phenomenon, provides
many benefits to mankind that science had to harness the energy and
recreate the process. This seemingly simple process that takes place
naturally in the environment has taken the industrial society a long
time to perfect.
Ozone treatment is an effective disinfectant for water being used in
bottled water operations. The process requires careful, precise
operation and quality equipment to ensure water is properly disinfected
and tastes good.
Ozone or O3 is Mother Natures purifier and disinfectant. The 3
stands for the three oxygen atoms that compose Ozone. The normal Oxygen
we breathe is called O2, and is made up of only two chemically linked
Oxygen atoms. You may have noticed that a sudden summer storm leaves
behind a very distinct smell, sort of a fresh scent which lasts for
about an hour. In this case, you smell Ozone, which has been creating
from lighting bolts during the electrical storm. Ozone is also created
by the by the Suns ultra violet rays.
The three Oxygen atoms, once these has a weak hold on the others, and
is more than willing to transfer electrons with other organic
substances, such as bacteria, and viruses. This single Oxygen atom binds
with the other substance, causing it to oxidize (turn into something
else. Rust is an example of Iron oxidizing into Iron Oxide). The
byproduct of Oxidation in this case is simply O a single Oxygen atom.
Ozone functions as both an oxidant and disinfectant in the treatment of
drinking (potable) water and wastewater. This is similar to chlorine.
Chlorine and Ozone, however, operate by different mechanisms when
disinfecting water. As a result, ozone and chlorine can act
synergistically.
Ozone's germicidal properties are associated with its high oxidation
potential. Disinfection by ozone is a direct result of bacterial cell
wall disintegration, also known as lysis.
In summary, when the ozonation process train is properly engineered
and designed, water quality can be achieved which, without exception,
cannot be matched with any type of chemical treatment.