Ozone, as a very strong oxidizing agent, has been used in water treatment and purification for many years because of its ability to oxidize organic and inorganic compounds and its excellent disinfecting efficiency. The ozone molecule reacts rapidly with many compounds in water to form hydroxyl radicals, which are one of the most reactive oxidizing agents.
Because ozone is a dangerous and unstable gas that cannot be stored, it must be prepared on site in equipment called an ozone generator. In most cases, production is by means of a silent electrical discharge in a dry gas containing oxygen (air or pure oxygen). This process produces a gas containing up to 16 % ozone by weight. This gas is mixed with treated water and passed through a reaction tank and then through a scrubbing tank where its concentration is reduced to safe levels.
Ozone can also be used for advanced oxidation processes (AOP), where ozone is combined with UV radiation or hydrogen peroxide dosing to produce primarily hydroxyl radicals, which have a higher oxidation efficiency than ozone alone.
However, ozonation of organic substances may produce a number of unidentified by-products of unknown nature. Therefore, it is always recommended to include granular activated carbon filtration after ozonation when treating drinking water.
Customer benefits
- Effective disinfection, killing resistant organisms up to 100 times faster than chlorine
- Improves the organoleptic properties of water (smell, taste)
- Removal of water colour
- Oxidation of iron and manganese
- Removal of pesticides and pharmaceuticals
- Low maintenance costs
- Simple operation
- No transport risks, ozone is produced on site
- No harmful or carcinogenic by-products
