Chlorine water treatment
for drinking water supplies has for more than a century has saved many lives. According to statistics, nearly
1.2 billion people around the world don’t have access to clean and safe source of drinking water
. Most of the people residing in these areas, mostly children, die because of water-borne diseases. Read on to know more about
chlorine water treatment
.
As we all know, water is an essential aspect of life as 67% of water is present in our bodies. Disinfection of drinking water supplies with the help of chlorine treatment is considered to be one of the greatest accomplishments in our society.
Chlorine Chemistry
This chemical is highly reactive which is found in the 7th group of the periodic table. Chlorine has seven electrons in the outer shell. It is abundant on earth, primarily present in the form of sodium chloride (common salt).
Hypochlorous Acid
Chlorine is directly added to the drinking water supplies in the form of gas or calcium hypochlorite or sodium hypochlorite (bleach). The final outcome is a solution which contains hypochlorous acid. This acid finally dissociates to form H+ and OCl- ions. This is very effective in eliminating pathogenic microorganisms as the chemical penetrates their protective membrane.
Important Functions
When added to the drinking water supplies, have two very important functions. Firstly, it eliminates the microorganisms like viruses, bacteria and others present in the water. It renders the water fit for human consumption.
The second important function is that it is found in the water at a residual level. This helps in eliminating potential harmful microorganisms that may enter into the drinking water supplies. These microorganisms may enter into the water supplies during the transport, storage and distribution processes.
Emergency
In case of an emergency, simple solutions are available to render the water fit for consumption. The simplest and effective technique is boiling water. Even bleaches can effectively remove impurities from drinking water.
