Water Treatment involving Chlorine
What is Water Treatment? Water contains multiple harmful contaminants that can potentially in danger our health. Untreated water contains chemicals and bacteria prone to harm us in it as we consume, or use it in our daily lives. Water found from lakes, rivers, or oceans may contain harmful microorganisms in it and other impurities, such as garbages thrown by humans. While not all microorganisms are harmful to us, the ones that are harmful comes with a high possibility of carrying diseases and other illnesses such as typhoid fever, dysentery, cholera, and Legionnaires' disease. These harmful microorganisms are called pathogens. Chemicals like Chlorine are commonly used in water treatment plants, and they serve a purpose to counteract the pathogens. Chlorine is an abundant element found in our world which means water treatment plants can utilize Chlorine without costing the plant as much. Along with the price of Chlorine, it's uses range from purifying our water through disinfecting as well as bleaching. Despite the fact that Chlorine can be used to purify our water, and the element being cheap, it too comes with several disadvantages. Meaning treated our treated water, may not be safe at all. How Can our Water be Treated With Chlorine? Chlorine is a harmful chemical to all living things and so when chlorine is added to the water, it can kill the microorganisms and pathogens in water by destroying the microorganisms cell wall. When chlorine is added into water, it undergoes many chemical reactions with the water. The two main chemicals formed are hypochlorous acid (HClO) and hypochlorite ions (ClO-). These main chemicals are the ones that kill the pathogens rendering them useless. The pathogens exposure to chlorine can destroy the cell wall which exposes the pathogen to the chlorine and terminates the cell’s vital functions such as cellular respiration and DNA activity which in the end, kills the pathogen. Both hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite ions are able to kill pathogens but with a slight difference. Hypochlorous acid is able to oxidize the pathogen within seconds whereas hypochlorite ions take much longer.
The Pro’s of using Chlorine to Treat Water
Minimize pathogens found in our water.
Prevents residues that can lead to contamination or recontaminations
Abundant
An easier element to utilize
Cheap
The Cons of using Chlorine to Treat Water
Causes damage to the cells and tissues in the body
Prone to contract many sorts of diseases
There are people object against the odor and taste of chlorine
Not effective in turbid waters
Can be affected by the by-product such as trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids
How To Ensure Safe Waters
It is important to ensure that we are drinking and using clean waters so that we cannot be harmed by the danger of the impure water. There are many ways to protect ourselves from chlorine and the dangers that come along with it. It is best to avoid the use of chlorine in general, so avoid using public pools when you know there is chlorine in it, or instead of using chlorine to disinfect your waters, use alternatives. There are natural ways to disinfect your waters like ozone or UV light. Ozone, also known as O3, is a highly powerful oxidant that inactivates pesticides, fungus, organic materials, contaminates, and viruses much more potently than chlorine. Ozone is composed of three oxygen atoms. Of these 3 atoms, one is connected more weakly than the others. This one will transfer itself to the other substance such as viruses and bacteria, causing them to oxidize by binding itself onto them.
Comments