University of Al Mustansiriyah

Faculty of Engineering
Civil Engineering Department
Sanitary and Environmental Engineering

Water disinfection
1. What is water disinfection?

Water disinfection means the removal, deactivation or killing of pathogenic microorganisms.

Microorganisms are destroyed or deactivated, resulting in termination of growth and
reproduction. When microorganisms are not removed from drinking water, drinking water
usage will cause people to fall ill.
Sterilization is a process related to disinfection. However, during the sterilization process all
present microorganisms are killed, both harmful and harmless microorganisms.
Disinfection can be attained by means of physical or chemical disinfectants. The agents also
remove organic contaminants from water, which serve as nutrients or shelters for
microorganisms. Disinfectants should not only kill microorganisms. Disinfectants must also have
a residual effect, which means that they remain active in the water after disinfection. A
disinfectant should prevent pathogenic microorganisms from growing in the plumbing after
disinfection, causing the water te be recontaminated.

2. Disinfection Methods:

1- Physical disinfection
2- Chemical disinfection
For physical disinfection of water the following methods can be used:
- Ultraviolet light (UV)
- Electronic radiation
- Gamma rays
- Sounds
- Heat

Dr. Mustafa Tariq

Lecturer. Saeb Ferman
‫‪University of Al Mustansiriyah‬‬
‫‪Faculty of Engineering‬‬
‫‪Civil Engineering Department‬‬
‫‪Sanitary and Environmental Engineering‬‬
‫‪For chemical disinfection of water the following disinfectants can be used:‬‬
‫)‪- Chlorine (Cl2‬‬
‫)‪- Chlorine dioxide (ClO2‬‬
‫)‪- Hypo chlorite (OCl-‬‬
‫)‪- Ozone (O3‬‬
‫)‪- Halogens: bromine (Br2), iodene (I‬‬
‫)‪- Bromine chloride (BrCl‬‬
‫‪- Hydrogen peroxide‬‬

‫ويعتبر الكلور من اكثر المواد المستخدمة في عملية التطهير وذلك لرخص ثمنه وسهولة تصنيعه وكذلك استخدامه بعدة‬
‫اشكال‪:‬‬
‫‪ -1‬الحالة الصلبة‪ :‬ويكون الكلور على هيئة مسحوق باودر وهو عبارة عن مركب يحتوي في تركيبه على مادة‬
‫الكلور الحر ومن اهم تلك المواد هايبوكلورات الصوديوم ‪NaOCl‬‬
‫‪ -2‬الحالة الغازية‪ :‬ويستخدم الكلور على هيئة غاز مضغوط يضاف الى الماء مباشرة كما في حالته الطبيعية‬
‫‪ -3‬الحالة السائلة‪ :‬وذلك باستخدام غاز الكلور المضغوط بضغوط عالية‬

‫مقارنة بين استخدام الكلور واﻻوزون في عملية تطهير المياه‬

‫عند استخدام اﻻوزون ﻻيوجد له تأثير متبقي )‪ (Residual effect‬بينما عند استخدام الكلور فان له تأثير متبقي‬
‫يسمى بالكلور المتبقي الحر )‪ (Free residual chlorine‬والذي يوجد على هيئة حامض الهيبوكلورين والذي‬
‫ينتج من تفاعل الكلور مع الماء‪.‬‬
‫فعند استخدام اﻻوزون في التطهير وحدوث تسرب في الشبكة الناقلة للماء فانه سوف يحدث تلوث للمياه في‬
‫منطقة ال تسرب ويجري التلوث مع الماء خﻼل الشبكة لعدم وجود تأثير متبقي لﻼوزون حيث انه جميع اﻻوزون‬
‫يكون قد تفاعل في وحدة المعالجة ولم يبقى له تأثير في الماء خﻼل الشبكة مما يعمل على قتل اﻻحياء المجهرية‬
‫في حالة حدوث التسرب‪.‬‬
‫ان جرعة الكلور تتراوح بين )‪ (2-3 mg/L‬ويبقى منه بحدود )‪ .(0.1-0.2 mg/L‬أما ايجابيات اﻻوزون فهي‬
‫ان كفائته اعلى من الكلور ولكن كلفة اﻻوزون عالية مقارنة بكلفة الكلور‪.‬‬

‫‪ -3‬الجرعة المطلوبة )الجرعة المثالية( ‪Optimum dose‬‬

‫تعتمد الجرعة المطلوبة للمواد المطهرة على عدة عوامل‪:‬‬
‫‪ -1‬نوعية المياه‬
‫تزداد الجرعة المطلوبة بزيادة التلوث البكتيري والعكس صحيح‪ ,‬كما ان وجود عناصر اخرى في الماء مثل الحديد‬
‫قد تزيد من الجرعة المثالية المطلوبة حيث تتفاعل هذه العناصر مع الكلور المضاف مما يقلل من كمية الكلور‬
‫المخصص للتطهير‪.‬‬

‫‪Dr. Mustafa Tariq‬‬

‫‪Lecturer. Saeb Ferman‬‬
University of Al Mustansiriyah
Faculty of Engineering
Civil Engineering Department
Sanitary and Environmental Engineering
‫ الظروف المحيطة‬-2
‫وتشمل درجة الحرارة حيث ان بز يادة درجة الحرارة تزداد سرعة التفاعل وبالتالي تزداد كفاءة التطهير وتقلل من‬
‫ كما تشمل تاظروف المحيطة اﻻس الهيدروجيني والتي لها تأثير كبير على‬,‫الجرعة المطلوبة والعكس صحيح‬
.‫سرعة التفاعل‬
‫ زمن التماس‬-3
‫يؤثر زمن التماس بين جزيئات المادة المطهرة وجزيئات الماء فكلما كانت الفترة الزمنية اطول كلما كان التطهير‬
‫افضل وبالعكس‬

4- Chlorine chemistry in water:

Chlorine kills pathogens such as bacteria and viruses by breaking the chemical bonds in
their molecules. Disinfectants that are used for this purpose consist of chlorine
compounds which can exchange atoms with other compounds, such as enzymes in
bacteria and other cells. When enzymes come in contact with chlorine, one or more of
the hydrogen atoms in the molecule are replaced by chlorine. This causes the entire
molecule to change shape or fall apart. When enzymes do not function properly, a cell
or bacterium will die.

When chlorine is added to water, hypochlorous acid form:

Cl2 + H2O -> HOCl + HCl

Depending on the pH value, hypochlorous acid partly expires to hypochlorite ions:

Cl2 + 2H2O -> HOCl + H2O + HCl-
HOCl + H2O -> H2O+ OCl-+H+

This falls apart to chlorine and oxygen atoms:

OCl- -> Cl- + O

hypochlorous acid (HOCl, which is electrically neutral) and hypochlorite ions (OCl-,
electrically negative) will form free chlorine when bound together. This results in
disinfection. Both substances have very distinctive behaviour. hypochlorous acid is more
reactive and is a stronger disinfectant than hypochlorite. hypochlorous acid is split into
hydrochloric acid (HCl) and atomair oxygen (O). The oxygen atom is a powerful
disinfectant.
The disinfecting properties of chlorine in water are based on the oxidising power of the
free oxygen atoms and on chlorine substitution reactions

Dr. Mustafa Tariq

Lecturer. Saeb Ferman
University of Al Mustansiriyah
Faculty of Engineering
Civil Engineering Department
Sanitary and Environmental Engineering
5- Break point chlorination:
Most well waters contain some impurities that react with chlorine during disinfection. Among
the most troublesome is ammonia. It may be useful to review the full concept of chlorination so
as to understand how ammonia relates to the whole process.
Breakpoint chlorination is the process of adding chlorine to water until the chlorine demand
has been satisfied. Normally in water with a pH of 7.5, approximately 50% of the chlorine
present will be in the form of HOCl and 50% in the form of OCl. The higher the pH levels the
greater the percent of OCl. During chlorination of normal water the chlorine reacts with
(oxidizes) minerals like nitrate, iron and manganese. No disinfection occurs because of the
demand on the chlorine (figure 1, points 1 to 2). A chlorine residual combined with other
substances has lost its disinfecting strength. If you add a little more chlorine, enough to react
with the ammonia present, chemicals called chloramines are formed producing a combined
chlorine residual:
NH3 + HOCl ----NH2Cl + H2O (fig. 1 points 2 to 3)
NH2Cl+HOCL----NHCl2+H2O
NHCl2+HOCl----NCl3+H2O
With just a little more chlorine the monochloramines and dichloramines are destroyed. (Fig.1
points 3 to 4). Trichloramines are formed past the breakpoint and also may form tastes and
odors. Adding just one last amount of chlorine will produce free available chlorine residual.
(Fig.1 beyond point 4) Free available residual chlorine is the best residual for disinfection. It
disinfects faster and without the “swimming pool” odor caused by combined residual chlorine.

Dr. Mustafa Tariq

Lecturer. Saeb Ferman
University of Al Mustansiriyah
Faculty of Engineering
Civil Engineering Department
Sanitary and Environmental Engineering
6- Water Containing Ammonia
When chlorine is added to water containing ammonia (NH3), it reacts rapidly with the ammonia
and forms monochloramines, dichloramines and trichloramines. The formation of these
chloramines depends on the pH of the solution and the initial chlorine-ammonia ratio.
Monochloramines are often used for disinfection purposes since they have no taste or odor.
Dichloramines have a more effective disinfecting power than monochloramines however,
dichloramines are not recommended because of taste and odor problems. At a pH of 6.5 to 7.5
mono and dichloramines exist together. Studies have indicated a dosage of three parts chlorine
to one part ammonia will favor the formation of monochloramine.

Historically some water treatment plants have added ammonia to the filter effluent when they
chlorinated to purposely produce chloramines. Two advantages of this practice are very long
lasting chlorine residuals and the fact that chloramines do not form trihalomethanes. Major
limitations of using chloramine residuals are the fact that chloramines are not as effective as
free chlorine residuals for disinfecting and have tastes and odors. Additionally, chloramines can
have a debilitating effect on individuals with renal disease and who must undergo kidney
dialysis.

Dr. Mustafa Tariq

Lecturer. Saeb Ferman
University of Al Mustansiriyah
Faculty of Engineering
Civil Engineering Department
Sanitary and Environmental Engineering

Dr. Mustafa Tariq

Lecturer. Saeb Ferman