DISINFECTION

Disinfection : Process of killing disease producing bacteria

Disinfectant : Chemicals used for disinfection
Need : Though SSF (98-99%), RSF (80-90%) bacterial
load, left over enough to cause diseases
1) less than one coli form organism/100ml
2) protection against re growth

Low concentration : Penetration of cell wall and inactivating

enzymes
High concentration : Oxidation of cell-destroy entire organism

Factors which militate:

Turbidity : Colloids offer sanctuary – shielding from full
action and may absorb disinfectant
Resistant organism : Cysts and ova, Amoebic histolytica – more
Minor methods :
• Boiling of water
• Treatment with excess lime
• Ozone (O3 O2 + O)
• Iodine and bromine
• U-V rays
• Potassium permanganate
• Silver
• Chlorination : popular since
Cheap, easy to handle and measure, capable of providing
residual disinfecting effects
• Only disadvantage excess imparts bitter and bad taste
Action of chlorine :
pH >5
Cl2 + H2O HOC l +H C l
HOCl H+ +O C l-
Unstable
More pH more dissociation
pH < 5 No reaction
pH 5- 10 both
pH > 10 Only hypochlorite ions
As hypochlorous acid effective , pH maintained slightly less than 7.0

Doses of chlorine : Depends

- Quantity and quality of organisms
- pH
- Temperature
- Type of disinfectant
- Contact period
Determination : Adding various amounts and observing residual left
after contact period of 20 minutes, the dose which
gives 0.1 to 0.2 mg /l is selected.
Forms of chlorine application : As a free chlorine : liquid/gas
As a combined form :
1.Hypo chlorites/ bleaching powder( chlorinating ability @30%)
2.Chloramines
3.Chlorine dioxide (ClO2 )

• Chlorine gas is toxic, heavier, spreads at ground level chances for

accidents – use of hypo chlorites mandated – in case of large
quantities of chlorine for T.P in highly populated areas
• Surface water contains organic acids (humic and fulvic ) and
phenols – consumes chlorine resulting on chlorinated hydrocarbon
compounds and taste and odour causing substances respectively
and are suspected of being carcinogenic
Solution : Adsorption on to activated carbon or prevention of
formation by substitution of chloramines which do not
react with organics or phenols
Chloramines formed by adding small NH3 to water and then C l2,
less effective, 2 to 3 mg/l with 30 min contact
Types of chlorination : Based on quantity or stage at which it is
added
• Plain chlorination
• Pre chlorination
• Post chlorination
• Double chlorination
• Break point chlorination
• Super chlorination
• De chlorination
Some problems : (Q) In the treatment of 2500 m3/d of water , the
amount of chlorine used is 9 kg/d . The residual after contact 20 min
is 0.2 mg/l . Calculate chlorine dosage in mg/l and demand in mg/l .
Sol : water treated /day = 2500 m3
chlorine applied/day = 9 kg
chlorine used/l =( 9x 106)/(25x106) =0.36 mg/l
residual chlorine = 0.2 mg/l
chlorine dose = chlorine demand + residual chlorine
chlorine demand = 0.36 – 0.20 = 0.16 mg/l
Q : Given data : Population : 20,000;
Per capita demand : 125 L,
Dose of chlorine : 0.4 ppm
Disinfectant : Bleaching powder (containing 25% of C l2)
Determine : Bleaching powder required 1) daily, 2) annually
Sol : Average daily demand = 20,000 x 125 L =2.5 x 106 L
Amount of chlorine required = 0.4x 2.5 x 106/106 =1 kg
Bleaching powder contains 25% C l2 means that 25 kg of
chlorine contained in 100 kg of bleaching powder
For 1 kg of C l2 bleaching powder required = ?
(100/25 )x amount of chlorine req = 100/25 x 1 = 4 kg/d
Annual reqt = 4 x 365 =1460 kg or 1.46 T