Ozone Water Treatment
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How to treat water with Ozone & Ozone water treatment :
How does Ozone work?
Ozone tends to react with other substances by attaching the third oxygen atom to the other substance, thereby oxidizing it. Many of us have heard weather reports where the ozone levels were referred to in conjunction with pollution levels. Ozone is present in smog because certain processes that create pollution also produce ozone. Ozone recombines with those same pollutants and neutralizes them by breaking them down into water, carbon dioxide, sulphur, nitrogen and oxygen.
Generated low levels of ozone used for water purification prove very successful, as it is possibly the most powerful antibiotic, sanitizer and deodorant known to man. It doesnt merely mask harmful substances or smells it seeks them out and eliminates them. The highest natural levels of ozone are found at the seashore and in forest/mountain locations, places where you automatically feel refreshed.
The invigorating air after a thunderstorm is as a result of ozone, so is the smell of naturally dried laundry on a clothesline.
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Ozone Water Treatment Technology
Ozone is a natural component of the earths upper atmosphere where it is primarily formed photo chemically. It contains three atoms of oxygen (O3) instead of the usual two found in normal oxygen (O2) that is essential for life. It can be recognized by the clean, fresh odour of air after an electrical thunderstorm, which is the result of low levels of ozone gas produced by lightning. Additionally, ozone is the strongest commercially available disinfectant, yet very safe, and over 3000 times faster than chlorine for purifying water and is more effective for elimination of e.coli, Gardia, Legionnella and Cryptosporidium.Ozone is the second most powerful oxidant known and the naturally occurring level not only protects all life from the harmful effects of solar ultraviolet radiation but also is very effective at destroying bacteria, viruses and odours.Ozone has been commercially used since 1893 when the first full-scale drinking water treatment application was implemented.
Today, it is used in thousands of water treatment applications including the treatment of municipal water and wastewater, cooling towers, ultra pure water, marine aquaria, beverage industries, industrial process water, swimming pools, bottled water plants, aquaculture, food processing and effluent treatment.
Apart from destroying all known bacteria, viruses, fungi and mould in any water it is used to treat, ozone also removes iron, manganese, heavy metals, cyanide, phenols and Sulphides, as well as soaps, oils and greases and it controls the taste, colour and odour of water.Ozone is very possibly the most powerful and effective eliminator of smoke and odours. Ozone eliminates tobacco smoke, its impurities or Phenol gasses, and odours from cooking, pets, mold, mildew and often the sources of household odours.Hotels and restaurants that have high standards of hygiene and health particularly use ozone generators. Hotels and restaurants will find a portable ozone generator invaluable for performing deodorizing functions where nothing else would work.Ozone units are used for various areas in the hotel including the kitchen, lounge, bars, bathrooms, rest rooms, offices, bedrooms and garbage rooms.In homes, veterinary hospitals / clinics, offices and kennels, ozone can take care of odorous surfaces and make the presence of animals hardly noticeable.Odours and bacteria are significantly reduced by ozone in washrooms. Noxious airborne chemicals and surface bacteria cause unpleasant and harmful odours. Ozone not only deodorizes washrooms effectively, it also kills the germs that can lurk on surfaces such as taps and toilets.
How does ozone work?
The ozone gas molecule O3 is unstable allowing it to readily decay into O2 thereby releasing a single oxygen atom that is highly reactive. When the ozone comes into contact with an odour or a Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) an oxygen atom splits off from the ozone molecule and reacts with the odour or VOC, oxidizing it into harmless and non-odorous substances that are predominantly CO2 and H2O.
The ozone will also react with certain surfaces. When it comes into contact with a bacteria or a virus, the oxygen reacts with the cell membrane. Initially the ozone attacks the Glycoproteins, Glycolipids and certain amino acids such as Trytophan in the bacterial membrane. It also acts upon the Sulfhydral groups and some enzymes resulting in the disruption of normal cellular activity. Bacterial death is rapid and is often attributed to changes in the cell permeability followed by cell lysis.As each of these reactions occur the amount of ozone (O3) present continuously reduces until all the ozone has decayed back to the original normal bi-atomic oxygen, making it a safe and environmentally friendly with no harmful residues. As the ozone molecule is unstable, even if none of these reactions occur the ozone (O3) rapidly reverts back to oxygen (O2).
As a result of this natural decay back to oxygen the use of an ozone generator in a room does not lead to a continuous build up of ozone. The level of ozone will stabilize at a predetermined level that is a function of the room size, air changes, temperature, odour/VOC/bacteria content and the reactivity of any surfaces.
Uses of Ozone
These are some of the common uses of Ozone:
- Drinking water supplies
- Horticultural & hydroponics water supplies
- Dairy & poultry farm water supplies
- Iron & Manganese removal systems
- Mineral water bottling plants
- Ice making machines
- Winery water supplies
- Air conditioning cooling towers
- Domestic & commercial swimming pools
- Domestic & commercial spa pools
- Domestic sewage treatment plants
- Commercial waste water treatment plants
- De-odourisation & purification of air
- Natural Water Treatment For Horticultural and Farm Water Supplies
- Natural & Effective Water Treatment
- Effective Removal of Iron & Manganese
- Effective Disinfectant of Surface & Bore water
- Superior Pathogen & Fungal Disease Control
- Reduce Chemical Usage Simple to Install & Easy to Operate
- Horticultural Uses
- Treatment of raw water supplies
- Removal of iron
- Manganese, Sulphur Disinfection of water supplies of fungi diseases such as Pythium, Fusarium, Phytohthora, etc.
- Treatment of nutrient and system water supplies
- As an effective replacement for chemical fungicides
- As an abundant source of dissolved oxygen
Benefits of using Ozone
Replace the use of chemicals for the control of waterborne fungal disease. Pathogens will not develop a tolerance to Ozone Ozone leaves behind a residual of dissolved oxygen, which is available to be taken up by the plants. The reduced use of chemicals and the abundance of dissolved oxygen, results in plants that are better able to withstand diseases introduced from other sources. Ozone is produced on-site, from electricity and the oxygen in the air. Ozone is not dependant upon the clarity of the water for its operation, and water does not require expensive pre-filtering. Ozone is not dependant upon the pH of the water for its effectiveness, nor will it affect the pH of the water by its use.
Ozone will NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT THE DISSOLVED NUTRIENTS. The reduction of fungicides often results in less stress on delicate plant roots, leading to increased growth. By treating water-borne fungi, Ozone avoids the destruction of beneficial soil borne fungi that encourage plant growth and the uptake of nutrients. The use of Ozone in hydroponics can be controlled and administered at selected times. Because Ozone is resident in the water for only a short time, it can be “turned ON & OFF“