Water Treatment, Disinfectants and Your Family's Health

One of the most common tools used in large scale water treatment is disinfection. When water is meant to be used for individual consumption or washing, it is important for it to be free of unwanted bacteria and microorganisms that can threaten the health and safety of the individual using it on a daily basis. There are four main types of disinfectants used in water treatment and the chemicals help improve the safety of water.

Chlorine dioxide is one of the most popular disinfectants and its smell is often associated with public swimming pools. The harsh chemical helps to kill microorganisms even at very low concentrations and over a wide range of pH values. This disinfectant is particularly useful for surface waters with taste or odor problems. The chemical actually penetrates the cell wall of the bacteria and interacts with amino acids within the cytoplasm of the bacterial cell. The organism is literally killed from the inside out.

Hypochlorite is used in a similar manner as chlorine, but is no longer as popular. Recently, hypochlorite has been shown to promote bromate consistence in water which is a metal that is detrimental to the overall purifying process.

Ozone has a very short life span, but is an extremely efficient disinfectant that helps with the purification process. Ozone is simply the oxygen molecule (O2) with an extra oxygen atom (O3). When this molecule comes in contact with a virus, bacteria or odor, the extra O atom attacks it directly and causes oxidation. This oxidation destroys the virus, bacteria or odor and leaves behind only 2 atoms of oxygen.

The usefulness of disinfectants continues to improve because they can be used in various situations across various industries and for various purposes. Pharmaceutical companies disinfect water, local purifying plants disinfect drinking water, and even surface disinfection helps promote health and safety. Each product within this category of chemicals has pros and cons when it comes to environmental safety, creation of byproducts, effectiveness, cost of investment, use on fluids and use on surfaces. It is important to keep these individual traits in mind when choosing the right chemical for your next job.

For more information on water treatment and disinfectant, contact your local purifying plant or another professional organization dedicated to ensuring the water in your home is clean and fit for consumption. There are a number of state and federal regulations designed to protect consumers of water on a daily basis and ensure purifying plants meet local and international standards for health and safety.