The use of ozone gas in water purification has long been an effective means of eliminating microorganisms, organic compounds and metals to produce potable drinking water. Making the process more effective is the utilization of 95+% pure oxygen as an air source, instead of the traditional ambient air-feed systems.
German companies Mahler AGS and WEDECO Group have teamed up to combine a WEDECO ozone generator with a Mahler AGS OXYSWING® PSA Oxygen Generating Plant as its source of oxygen. The use of on-site generated oxygen has been successfully installed in water treatment plants worldwide, resulting in many benefits not otherwise possible with standard air-feed technology.
Utilizing on-site generated oxygen as an ozone source allows the user to achieve a higher level of ozone concentration. With traditional methods (using ambient air for ozone generation), the maximum achievable concentration typically is 4 percent ozone gas. By utilizing the more modern technology of feeding oxygen into the ozone generator, concentrations of 14 percent ozone (and higher) can be achieved in this process.
A water treatment plant that employs such an oxygen-based system can expect to increase its potable water production significantly with the same equipment due to the higher solubility of ozone in water. Also, the quality of the finished product will be increased, while maintenance costs will decrease.
An ozone-based purification system also offers several advantages compared to other drinking water purifications. Cleaner water is produced, as the microorganism kill-rate is greater than 99.9 percent; the dissolved iron and manganese are converted into the insoluble oxides which can be removed by sedimentation and/or filtration; organic compounds which can cause discolor or unpleasant odors are eliminated; less pollution is produced in the purification process; and the water tastes better as ozone is neutral in taste.
Mahler AGS is a subsidiary of the Messer Group, which also owns an equity position in WEDECO.
For further information, visit www.mahler-ags.com.
