People increasingly value the safety of drinking water, so water purification is essential in life. Ozone is a naturally occurring gas in the atmosphere and plays an important role in the water purification industry. Ozone water treatment uses the strong oxidizing properties of ozone to effectively clean harmful substances in drinking water and is widely used in commercial and household water purification systems.
So, what is ozone water treatment? How does it work? In life, what other water treatment technologies can replace it?
What is ozone water treatment?
Ozone is an allotrope of oxygen, with a chemical formula of O3. Its molecular weight is 48.00. It is a light blue gas, dark blue in liquid state, and purple-black in solid state. It is composed of three oxygen atoms.
Ozone water treatment is an effective wastewater treatment technology that uses ozone as an oxidant to purify and disinfect wastewater. Ozone has a strong oxidizing ability and can kill viruses and spores with strong chlorine resistance. At the same time, it removes pollutants such as color, smell, taste, and phenol chlorine in sewage, increases dissolved oxygen in water, and improves water quality. In addition, ozone can also decompose organic matter and three-causing substances that are difficult to biodegrade and improve the biodegradability of sewage.
The main process facilities of ozone water treatment comprise ozone generators and gas-water contact equipment. Ozone decomposes in water to produce atomic oxygen and oxygen, and can also produce a series of free radicals. Especially in alkaline media, O3 decomposes to produce free radicals very quickly. The newly generated hydroxyl radicals are particularly active and have stronger oxidizing ability.
Ozone is widely used in water treatment, including the treatment of industrial sewage, domestic sewage, and hospital sewage. In industry, ozone water treatment is suitable for the preliminary treatment of sewage containing pollutants such as sodium alkylbenzene sulfonate, tar, COD, BOD, sludge, ammonia nitrogen, etc. It is also suitable for treating sewage containing Fe2+, Mn2+, cyanide, phenol, hydrophilic dyes, bacteria, etc.
Ozone water treatment technology is also used for deep treatment of drinking water and surface water to remove various organic, inorganic, and various bacteria, viruses, and other pollutants, reaching the standard of high-quality drinking water.
Working principle of ozone water treatment
Ozone water treatment is a method of purifying water bodies by using the ability of ozone gas to oxidize and decompose harmful substances. Its working principle mainly includes the following steps
1. Generation of ozone gas: Ozone gas is generated by an ozone generator. Electrolysis or ultraviolet light is usually used to convert oxygen into ozone. Ozone has strong oxidizing properties and can react with organic and inorganic substances in water.
2. Contact between water and ozone: Ozone gas is injected into the water to be treated so that ozone comes into contact with pollutants in the water. Ozone will react with organic matter in the water to oxidize and decompose harmful substances, such as dissolved heavy metals, organic pollutants, carbon dioxide, etc.
3. Oxidative decomposition of pollutants in water bodies: Ozone reacts with organic matter to generate oxygen free radicals, which further accelerates the decomposition of organic matter. Odor gas also has a strong bactericidal effect and can effectively eliminate bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms in water bodies.
4. Treatment of reaction products: The reaction products produced by ozone oxidation and decomposition will be further degraded into carbon dioxide, water, and relatively stable inorganic substances. These products are relatively harmless and can be treated through subsequent treatment methods such as filtration and adsorption to ultimately achieve the purpose of water purification.
Ozone water treatment methods have the advantages of high efficiency, rapidity, and no secondary pollution, and are widely used in water treatment, sewage treatment, drinking water purification, and other fields. However, ozone gas is highly active, and safety must be paid attention to when using and operating it to avoid ozone leakage and harm to the human body. Therefore, when performing ozone water treatment, effective protective measures need to be taken to ensure the safety of operators and the surrounding environment.
What does an ozone water treatment system remove from water?
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Parasites
- Yeast
- Odor and taste
- Turbidity
- Iron and manganese
What are the advantages and disadvantages of ozone water treatment technology?
Advantages of ozone water treatment technology
High efficiency and fast speed: Ozone water is an efficient oxidant that can quickly decompose organic matter, viruses, bacteria, etc. into harmless substances. This high efficiency can quickly achieve the purpose of water treatment or air purification.
No residue: Unlike other oxidants, ozone water will not produce secondary pollution after decomposing organic matter, nor will it leave harmful substances after treatment. Therefore, it is widely used in drinking water, domestic sewage treatment, and other fields.
Multi-field application: Ozone water can be widely used in tobacco, food, beverages, medical devices, and other fields. Its treatment effect is remarkable and is deeply recognized by industry professionals and consumers.
Disadvantages of ozone water treatment technology
High cost: Since ozone water treatment requires professional equipment and technical support, its cost is higher than other conventional treatment methods.
High requirements for operators: Ozone water is a highly active chemical substance. Operators need to receive special training and guidance to operate high-quality products.
There are certain safety hazards: When using ozone water for treatment, attention must be paid to the treatment site and conditions to avoid safety hazards and dangers.
Ozone water treatment and chlorinated water treatment
Ozone treatment has a good effect. Ozone is a strong oxidant that can oxidize and decompose organic matter and toxic substances in wastewater into harmless substances. Compared with chlorine, ozone treatment is more effective and can remove more organic matter and toxic substances.
Ozone treatment is highly safe. Ozone gas will not produce secondary pollutants when treating wastewater, and the treated wastewater will not cause harm to the environment and the human body. Chlorine will produce secondary pollutants such as chloric acid when treating wastewater, which are harmful to the environment and the human body.
Ozone treatment is simple to operate. Ozone treatment does not require the addition of any chemical reagents, only the ozone gas needs to be injected into the wastewater. Chlorine treatment requires the addition of a large amount of chlorine, which is more complicated to operate and easily causes danger to operators.
Ozone treatment equipment has a low cost. Ozone treatment equipment has relatively low cost, and maintenance and management costs are also low. Chlorine treatment equipment has high costs, and maintenance and management costs are also high.
In terms of effect and safety, ozone treatment of wastewater is better than chlorine treatment of wastewater. In practical applications, it is necessary to select appropriate treatment processes and equipment according to the types and concentrations of pollutants in the wastewater to ensure that the wastewater treatment effect meets the emission standards.
What is the best water purifier for emergency home use?
Based on the above analysis, you must have understood the pros and cons of ozone water treatment, and you may have many questions about the ideal water purification method for emergency home use. If you want to adopt a worry-free and safe method, we recommend using a reverse osmosis water filtration system, which allows you to easily obtain healthy and safe drinking water.
Recommended reading: What is a reverse osmosis water filtration system?
Reverse Osmosis Technology
Reverse osmosis is a membrane separation technology that relies on reverse osmosis membranes to separate solvents from solutes in a solution under pressure. In simple terms, reverse osmosis is the process of using sufficient pressure to separate the solvent in a solution through a reverse osmosis membrane (semi-permeable membrane). In the opposite direction of osmosis, reverse osmosis with a pressure greater than the osmotic pressure can be used to separate, purify, and concentrate the solution. The main separation object of the reverse osmosis membrane is the range of ions in the solution.
The ITEHIL reverse osmosis water filtration system can effectively remove most impurities in the water, using multiple filtration steps, PP cotton + activated carbon filtration, and RO filtration. The RO system separates harmful substances from water molecules and adds beneficial trace minerals required for the effective functioning of the human body. In general, using the ITEHIL reverse osmosis water filtration system, you can quickly obtain healthy and odor-free drinking water.
Recommended reading: How Does Reverse Osmosis Water Filter Work?
Common questions
What effect does ozone treatment have on water?
Ozone not only plays an important role in human life, but also plays a role in water treatment in sterilization, disinfection, algae removal, oxidation of iron and manganese, oxidation of organic matter, making water taste better, and removing toxic substances such as pesticides.
Is ozone-treated water safe to drink?
It can be drunk, but it is not recommended to drink it directly in large quantities for a long time. Ozone is very active and unstable. It quickly turns into oxygen in the water. At other times, it is recommended to leave ozone water for 15 minutes or heat it before drinking. It has less bacterial contamination than filtered pure water.
Will ozonation remove minerals?
Ozone will not oxidize most common minerals. Generally speaking, the mineral content in water is very low. For other trace components of mineral ions, ozone will not have a destructive effect, because the amount of ozone used in water treatment is limited, and most of the ozone reacts with bacteria.
