Disinfection

Art Jared E. Eduria

Disinfection
o It
involves the use of a disinfecting agent and some
means of contacting the disinfecting agent with the
water to be treated.
Disinfection
o Five disinfection agents used
1. Free chlorine
2. Combined chlorine (chlorine combined with
ammonia also known as chloramines)
3. Chlorine dioxide
4. Ozone
5. Ultraviolet (UV) light
Disinfection
Disinfection
Disinfection – Disinfectant
System Design
o Designing a disinfection system includes three primary
activities:
1. selecting a suitable disinfectant and dose
(disinfectant dose)
2. designing a system to inject or introduce the
disinfectant into the water (disinfectant addition)
3. designing contactors that provide a sufficient
amount of time for the disinfectant reactions to
take place (disinfectant contactors)
Disinfection with Chlorine
o Free Chlorine Disinfection
• It can be accomplished using chlorine gas or sodium
hypochlorite.
• Reaction of chlorine with water

Cl2 g + H2 O → HOCl + HCl

• Reaction of sodium hypochlorite with water

NaOCl + H2 O → HOCl + Na+ + OH −
Disinfection with Chlorine
o Free Chlorine Disinfection
• Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) – is the species that contribute
the greatest disinfecting power.
• Chlorine gas and sodium hypochlorite have the exact
same disinfecting capabilities on molar basis thus, both of
them has HOCl.
Disinfection with Chlorine
o Free Chlorine Disinfection
• HOCl acid is a weak acid that dissociates to form
hypochlorite ion (depends on pH)
HOCl ⇆ H + + OCl−

• HOCl and OCl− both have disinfecting capabilities,

but HOCl exhibits faster disinfection kinetics and,
therefore, is a stronger disinfectant than OCl−.
Disinfection with Chlorine
o Free Chlorine Disinfection
Disinfection with Chlorine
o Combined Chlorine Disinfection
• When ammonia is present in water, chlorine reacts to
form species that combine chlorine and ammonia,
known as chloramines.
• Reaction of chlorine with ammonia and water
NH3 + HOCl → NH2 Cl + H2 O (monochloramine)
NH2 Cl + HOCl → NHCl2 + H2 O (dichloramine)
NHCl2 + HOCl → NCl3 + H2 O (trichloramine)
• The sum of this three reaction is called combined chlorine.
Disinfection with Chlorine
o Summary
o Free Chlorine = HOCl + OCl -
o Combined Chlorine = NH2Cl + NHCl2 + NCl3
o Total Chlorine = free chlorine + combine chlorine

All chlorine species are expressed as milligrams per liter as Cl 2 and the
ammonia concentration is expressed as mg/L as nitrogen (i.e., mg/L NH3- N).
Disinfection with Chlorine
o Reaction and behavior of chlorination process when the amount
of chlorine increases is shown in the Figure.

o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH84LOwnhUU
Disinfection with Chlorine
o The point at which the oxidation of chloramine species is
complete is called the breakpoint and is the beginning of zone
C.
o The exact locations of maximum residual and breakpoint
(minimum residual) are influenced by the presence of dissolved
organic matter, organic nitrogen, and reduced substances [e.g.,
S2−, Fe(II), Mn(II)].
Disinfection with Chlorine
Disinfection with Chlorine
Dioxide
o Chlorine Dioxide – due to regulation of chlorination by – product
this process began.
o It is widely used in Germany, Switzerland and in France.
o It produces almost no identifiable organic by-products, except
low levels of a few aldehydes and ketones.
o Chlorine dioxide was known to produce two inorganic by-
products, chlorite and the chlorate ion.
o Most applications of chlorine dioxide were on low-TOC (total
organic carbon) waters that did not require a high dose to
overcome oxidant demand.
Disinfection with Ozone
o Ozone (O3) is the strongest of the chemical disinfectants and its
use is becoming increasingly common.
o Once dissolved in water, ozone begins a process of decay that
results in the formation of the hydroxyl radical (HO·).
o Ozone reacts in two ways with contaminants and microbes:
1. by direct oxidation
2. through the action of hydroxyl radicals generated during its
decomposition
Disinfection with Ultraviolet
Light
o Ultraviolet Light – It is a disinfection process that uses
electromagnetic radiation, specifically radiation and UV
radiation.
Thank you! ☺