Ozonation In Water Treatment: How Effective it is

Ozonation is one of the main water treatment technologies used in the modern world water treatment plants. Ozonation is popular due to its distinct advantages over various other chemical water treatment systems. As such, Ozonation has a great influence on the eradication of water shortages in the world.

Ozonation may be defined as the addition of ozone gas (O3) into a medium to utilize its oxidizing and ultimate disinfection property. Ozonation is employed in water treatment due to its efficiency in the elimination of a range of both organic and inorganic materials.

The ozonation of drinking water is a complicated process that requires the use of well-maintained systems. Ozone gas is often supplied and directed to the water to be treated, after which, specialized equipment has utilized the elimination of excess ozone. The biological implications of ozone gas range from chest pains to exacerbation of chronic respiratory conditions when inhaled in low quantities. However, breathing the gas in large quantities can prove fatal due to its property to rapidly attack the lungs.

Safety is a great concern in the application of ozonation to water treatment. The harmful effects of ozonation are not limited to the biological impacts on the consumer. Increased levels of ozone in the atmosphere are linked to various effects including lowered agricultural produce and retarded growth of seedlings  among other agricultural effects. These occur when ozone is at low altitudes. In high altitudes, ozone promotes global warming. The risks of the potential ill effects of ozone on the workers are threats that ought to be kept under consideration.

The main function of ozonation in water treatment is to kill pathogens and enhance the coagulation process. Ozonation helps eradicate the living organisms in water including viruses and bacteria, some of which are disease-causing.

Ozonation when used together with other chemical treatment processes such as chlorination, ensures that only small quantities of chlorine are used purposefully for residual protection. Ozonation can also be employed together with a filtration system to eliminate the colloidal particles.

The ozonation process in drinking water treatment is highly dependent on the ozone production process. Ozone gas can be produced either on site or delivered through piping. In most applications, the Ozone is prepared on-site due to the logistics.

The oxygen is subjected to high voltages, which leads to the amalgamation of the oxygen particles to form the ozone molecule. This formation might also be achieved by the use of Ultra-Violet light, especially in small-scale Ozone treatment methods. The other possible way to obtain the disinfectant is through electrolysis.

The choice between the use of ozonation or chlorination in the disinfection of raw water is dependent on many factors. The most common one is the cost element. Other factors include the intended use of the disinfected water, technical feasibility, availability of qualified personnel, and size of the intended distribution network, among others. One of the key elements of using Ozonation as the main process in treatment is that it works much faster compared to Chlorine.

The ozonation process is more effective in the elimination of microorganisms compared to oxidation techniques such as chlorination and Hydrogen Peroxide water treatment. However, chlorination has proven to be more effective when used in wide-scale treatment processes. This is largely caused by the fact that chlorination often has a residual effect on the water being treated. Conversely, ozonation technology does not leave out the beneficial residuals that may ultimately keep the water safe in pipes and final storage systems. 

Due to the limitations of ozonation stated above, it is common for most treatment systems that employ the ozonation process to also add some chlorine to achieve the residual effect. However, care must be taken in using the halogens together with Ozonation. The halogens include chemicals such as bromine, iodine, and chlorine. Reactions between these chemicals and chlorine lead to the production of harmful compounds in the water.

• Ozonation is the most efficient of the other chemical treatment methods. The process helps to eliminate various compounds including pesticides and organic matter. Virtually all microorganisms present in the water are eliminated.
• Ozone works more rapidly compared to most of the other treatment systems.
• The treatment process is dependable especially if the raw water quality is known and the expenses are kept in check.

• The setup and maintenance of ozonation equipment are quite costly.
• Ozonation requires a relatively higher number of specialized personnel to oversee and maintain the process compared to other technologies. This is to prevent any possible leakages and cases of overheating.
• Ozone does not leave residuals within the water, and this leads to the likelihood of water reinfection.
• There needs to be a reliable supply of electricity to facilitate the production of the Ozone gas.
• The limitations mentioned make Ozonation unsuitable for use in developing countries. The countries may not have sufficient capital to establish and maintain an ozonation plant. This is because plants ought to take the fact that Ozonation leaves no residual in the initial design.

While Ozonation is an efficient process in the processing of water for consumption, its major disadvantage of ozonation over chlorination is that it does not have a residual effect and might be expensive. It can be employed periodically to treat water to guarantee the safety of the consumers. Various water treatment products are increasingly being availed by manufacturers. This ensures that water is available when needed. To remove the harmful compounds, ozonation can be combined with  filtration mechanism.

Ozonation can be harnessed to address the problems associated with water contamination. With increasing awareness of the toxic compounds in water due to the chemicals used, Ozonation is being considered a more viable option. Since the process is greatly limited by its lack of residual capacity. Water from Ozonation is safe to drink provided that the water had not been previously treated with certain chemicals such as bromine and chlorine.