OZONE, A METHOD FOR DISINFECTING WATER

摘要

Ozone (O_3) is an allotropic form of oxygen that is produced when dry oxygen or air is passed through an electric current. Besides being a good disinfectant it is a powerful oxidant useful in removing objectionable flavors and odors that water may have. Solubilized in water, O_3 decomposes into H_2O2, O_2 ~(++) and OH~-, powerful radicals that attack proteins and amino acids, oxidizes polyunsaturated fatty acids, damages cell membranes and attacks the disulfide bonds in the enzymes inside the bacterial body, from which the disinfecting activity of ozone. The bactericidal effect has been demonstrated against pathogens such as Salmonella typhymurium, which is very sensitive to O_3 when in water, five log of the bacterium can be inactivated in 16 minutes at a concentration of 0.5 ppm of O_3. The beneficial effect of ozone is not restricted to disinfections, but also it can inactivate by oxidation phenols, pesticides and fertilizers. The objective of this work was to evaluate the disinfecting capacityof a water purification system called AQUAZON~(TM), which acts by producing O_3..