Chloramine is typically viewed as a far superior
disinfectant to free chlorine in terms of bacterial control
because it persists longer in the distribution system.
However, if nitrification is present, chloramine can
quickly disappear and the remaining available ammonia
could stimulate the growth of pathogenic bacteria
in home plumbing.
It is not news that nitrification can accelerate
chloramine decay, but some studies have raised suspicions
about whether chloramines are as persistent as
free chlorine. Because of the potential health concerns
with chloramine use, this study was conducted to
examine the relative stability and disinfection effectiveness
of chlorine and chloramine in various plumbing
materials both with and without nitrification present.
Absent nitrification, chloramine was more stable
than chlorine. In the presence of nitrification, however,
the relative stability of the disinfectants was
shown to depend on the relative rates of corrosion
and nitrification. The authors advise utilities already
using chloramines to routinely monitor disinfectant
stability and nitrification in premise plumbing and
implement prevention strategies to stop the occurrence
of nitrification. Includes 42 references, tables, figures.
| Edition : | Vol. 101 - No. 11 |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 750 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 12 |
| Published : | 11/01/2009 |
