Drinking water
Ozone is used for
disinfection of bottled water since 1982. Nowadays many cities take
advantages from installations that provide drinking water taken
from the rivers and treated with ozone.The treatment of drinking
water is certainly one of the most traditional uses of ozone, which
has generally proved more effective than other methods of
disinfection, especially those using chlorine, because it sterilize
more successfully bacteria (such as Escherichia Coli, and
Streptococcus Sthaphylococcus), cysts of protozoa (Giardia lamblia)
and spores.European legislation of drinking water treatment let use ozone-enriched water for the separation of iron, manganese, sulfur and arsenic: the residues of the treatment should not exceed the limits and must be exposed the label "water subjected to an oxidation technique allowed ozone-enriched air."
Due to its oxidizing power, ozone is widely used in drinking water treatment in the three phases of pre-oxidation, interim oxidation and final disinfection.
Especially, ozone :
- quickly
destroys bacteria, viruses and parasitic protozoa: the pathogens
are eliminated quickly and safely, avoiding the emergence of
infectious diseases. Excellent results are obtained in the fight
against Legionella and other bacterial species including
Pseudomonas Areuginosa, Escherichia Coli, the Scighelle and
Salmonella;
- allows the
oxidation of metals (iron and manganese), pesticides that are
formed on the surface of the water (atranzina), micropollutants
responsible for the taste and smell, and finally the macro organic
pollutants;
- degrades
complex organic non-biodegradable compounds;
- does not
alter the characteristics of water, which is clear, without smell
and it has a pleasant taste;
- the ozone
reverts back to oxygen after use: so it is not toxic and does not
require treatment of elimination. In this way generates fewer
harmful by-products;
- ozone does
not allow the formation of harmful substances in
water;
- leaves no
trace of residual water treatment plant;
- reduces the
cost of water purification, while maintaining a quality of the
final treated product.
The water bottling industry, juice and beverages is increasingly reliant on ozone, which clean and disinfect quickly and effectively the bottles from bacteria and viruses such as Escherichia coli and Cryptosporidium. Ozone also disinfects the bottling equipment and bottle caps, thus creating a sterile environment, while reducing the steps of rinsing with potable water without excessive use of water. Any bad smell is removed. Its action concerns the sterilization of tanks and storage tanks, disinfection of bottles prior to bottling, the waste water treatment plant and the areas used for processing and bottling.
Due to its oxidizing power, ozone inhibits the presence of heavy metals such as iron and manganese, and hydrogen sulfide tannins, with longer quality of the bottled product.
Ozone is also used to sterilize the inside of containers intended for food, pharmaceutical and industrial use: it is able to disinfect areas difficult to access by other components, and does so at low cost, very quickly, without using any chemical and leaves no toxic residue.
