The ideal solution for eliminating pathogenic microorganisms in water.
This is the second of five articles explaining why monochloramine is the best disinfectant currently available on the market. Did you miss the first one? No problem, click here: Maximum Biofilm Penetration.
By-products
Disinfection by-products are chemical, organic, or inorganic substances that can form during a disinfectant’s reaction with organic material naturally present in water.
The factors influencing the formation of disinfection by-products are:
- The type of disinfectant
- The dose of disinfectant
- Reaction time: when it is short, higher concentrations of THMs (trihalomethanes) and HAA5 (haloacetic acids) form.
- Temperature: when it increases, reactions occur faster, forming more halogenated by-products.
- pH: higher pH values form more THMs, while more HAA5 forms at lower pH values.
The World Health Organization states that even though the disinfection process can lead to the presence of molecules that may cause long-term health effects on consumers, disinfection is essential to prevent much more severe risks from pathogens in drinking water.
Therefore, it is crucial to choose the correct disinfectant and dose it properly.
But what is the ideal disinfectant solution to avoid creating by-products?
The answer can be found by analysing the characteristics of the most commonly used chlorine-based disinfectants:
- Chlorine/Hypochlorite Chlorine is one of the most commonly used disinfectants for water disinfection. It can deactivate most microorganisms and is relatively inexpensive. The main disadvantages of using chlorine as a disinfectant are the possible formation of THMs and its pungent odour and unpleasant taste.
- Chlorine Dioxide Currently, it is the most widely used product. Introduced and popularised by Sanipur in the Italian healthcare sector for over twenty years (SaniSweep technology), it shows high efficacy when correctly dosed. Chlorine dioxide creates by-products, including chlorites and chlorates.
- Monochloramine The chemical reaction to produce monochloramine theoretically shows that monochloramine has only water as a by-product: NH3(aq) + HOCl → NH2Cl + H2O The total elimination of by-products ensures perfect hygienic conditions of the water, the absence of unpleasant odours or tastes, and reduced reagent consumption, making SANIKILL an environmentally friendly technology.
Monochloramine is the best solution
Monochloramine is a suitable disinfectant for both hot and cold water and is permitted in drinking water up to a concentration of 3 mg/l according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and 4 mg/l for the American Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The first application of monochloramine in European water dates back to 1943. Sanipur has created a technology that doses monochloramine in water and ensures the elimination of by-products.
The SANIKILL Effect
SANIKILL, il sistema brevettato da Sanipur per la produzione ed il dosaggio di monoclorammina, è la prima e unica tecnologia che utilizza questa molecola come disinfettante per l’eliminazione della Legionella e di altri patogeni acquicoli.
Numerous studies published in prestigious international scientific journals have shown that after just one week of dosing in the water distribution system, the presence of Legionella is reduced below the limits imposed by regulations.
The SANIKILL technology allows for the controlled and safe in situ production of monochloramine from precursors specifically formulated and optimised in our laboratories, diluted, and thus absolutely safe at all stages, from handling to storage. On-demand production ensures that the product is always fresh: the absence of storage systems minimises the presence of disinfection by-products. This ensures the maintenance of perfect hygienic conditions of the water, the absence of unpleasant odours or tastes, and reduced reagent consumption, making SANIKILL an environmentally friendly technology.
Confirming what has been observed in field applications in hundreds of Italian and American hospitals, recent studies conducted by independent entities have demonstrated the ability of monochloramine to avoid generating by-products. In contrast, chlorine and chlorine dioxide, if not correctly dosed, form carcinogenic by-products, posing a serious risk to the end-user.
