As the name suggests, disinfectants are primarily used for sterilization. They are applied in the treatment of industrial water, domestic water, wastewater and other water bodies, aiming to disinfect and sterilize water to guarantee water quality safety. During treatment, disinfectants react with harmful substances in the water, removing these contaminants or converting them into substances harmless to humans, so that wastewater can be discharged safely.
Classification of Common Disinfectants
Common disinfectants include hypochlorite acid-based disinfectants, ultraviolet irradiation, chlorine dioxide, active oxygen disinfectants and more. This article briefly introduces hypochlorite acid-based disinfectants. This category covers liquid chlorine, bleaching powder, chlorine tablets, sodium hypochlorite and other forms. Their disinfection effect mainly relies on hypochlorite acid (HOCl).
One drawback of such disinfectants is that they tend to react with organic matter in water to form chlorinated hydrocarbons, substances confirmed to pose risks to human health. Strong unpleasant odors may also be produced during treatment. Dust and volatile odors can irritate the respiratory tract, eyes and skin. In case of accidental splashes, continuous flushing with clean water is required immediately. The substitution reaction occurring in the disinfection process is the fundamental cause of chlorinated hydrocarbon formation.
For this reason, it is recommended to install a Total Residual Chlorine Online Analyzer at the water outlet when using hypochlorite acid-based disinfectants. The device enables real-time monitoring of residual chlorine fluctuations to prevent excessive total residual chlorine, which may lead to the formation of hazardous substances and subsequent adverse impacts.
Chlorine-based disinfectants are widely used in daily scenarios. Chlorination disinfection is commonly adopted for domestic sewage and Medical Wastewater Monitoring. Operators should strictly control the dosage during disinfection. Excessive dosing is not recommended, even though disinfectants serve sterilization purposes. Over-dosing will lead to excessive residual chlorine in water and further generate hazardous substances.
