Ozone Water Treatment for Disinfection
Ozonated water, also called aqueous ozone, is water treated with ozone gas. This process dissolves ozone molecules in the water, which helps eliminate harmful substances. Ozone is a powerful form of oxygen that effectively gets rid of pathogens and contaminants in water. This innovative technology has many benefits. It's great at disinfecting and can be used in various ways. Discover the potential of ozonated water for simplifying water treatment.
How Ozone Water Treatment Works
Ozone water treatment works by infusing water with ozone gas, creating a strong disinfectant. Ozone is highly reactive and easily reacts with other substances due to its unstable nature and its weakly bound third oxygen atom. When ozone comes into contact with microorganisms in water, it breaks down their cell walls, rendering them inactive. Because of this, it's a potent oxidizer that breaks down organic and inorganic substances and deactivates pathogens. Even a small amount of ozone dissolved in water can disinfect much more effectively than chlorine. The disinfection power of ozone depends on factors like pH, temperature, and the targeted microorganisms.
Benefits of Ozone in Disinfection
Ozone, under normal conditions, is a pale blue gas that can turn into a dark blue liquid and eventually a violet-black solid when it gets very cold. It has environmental advantages, especially for disinfection purposes. Ozone naturally breaks down when it comes into contact with things like oxidizable materials, moisture, or solid surfaces. It's considered an environmentally friendly treatment against germs because it doesn't leave any residues behind after it's used.
Ozonated water is used in various industries such as water treatment plants, swimming pools, food and beverage processing, healthcare facilities, and home water treatment systems. Depending on specific needs, ozone can be applied at different stages of water treatment. Ozonated water has been shown to have several positive effects in agriculture, specifically irrigation, as it improves soil quality, crop yields, and increases dissolved oxygen levels.
Whitepaper Exploring the differences between ozone and cold plasma water treatment
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Ozone Generators
An ozone generator is a device that creates ozone gas for various applications. The process begins with ambient air or pure oxygen being introduced into the ozone generator. Within the generator, the oxygen molecules undergo a transformation when exposed to an electrical discharge or ultraviolet light. This transformation causes the oxygen molecules to break apart and subsequently recombine, forming ozone molecules. The resulting ozone gas is then released. When preparing ozonated water, it's important to consider the efficiency of ozone transfer.Â
Ozone Generator for Water
A mixing pump is a common component used in ozone generators for the efficient application of ozone gas. In the context of ozone generation, a mixing pump is responsible for introducing ozone into water. It achieves this by creating a vacuum effect that draws ozone gas from the ozone generator and mixes it with the water stream. However, when preparing ozonated water, it's important to consider the efficiency of ozone transfer. Ozone is unstable and needs to be injected into water effectively to maximize its benefits, minimize energy costs, and prevent its release into the air.Â
Therefore, a solution that provides for higher concentration, lasts longer and has better dispersion is necessary. One solution is micro/nanobubble injection, which has been found to be more effective than using a mixing pump for dissolving ozone. Nanobubbles have a larger surface area compared to larger bubbles from a mixing pump. This greater surface area improves the contact between ozone gas and water, making ozone transfer more efficient.
Ozonated Water Versus Plasma Activated Water
The science behind using nanobubbles to optimize ozone transfer involves plasma-activated water, or PAW for short. Ozonated water and PAW are distinct technologies with different chemical compositions and capabilities for microbial disinfection and water treatment. Ozone is often generated from liquefied compressed oxygen or ambient air found in the atmosphere. PAW, on the other hand, is generated through cold plasma treatment. Plasma-activated water contains reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitrogen species (RNS), which is a result of higher acidity and makes PAW highly effective against a wide range of pathogens, including viruses and spores.
It contains not only oxygen and ozone molecules but also other ROS, such as hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radicals, superoxide anion, and singlet oxygen. PAW is produced on-site, removing the need for ozone generators and storage, and it is considered less hazardous than ozone. Ingersoll Rand has developed a revolutionary new technology for creating PAW. Ingersoll Rand Ion Solutions is a cold plasma water treatment device ideal for replacing ozone generators in a number of applications. Discover why Ion Solutions is the best option for you.
