Chlorine is commonly used for the treatment of drinking water, process water and aquatic applications. However, in many industries and processes chlorine is unwanted due to contamination issues and other associated chemical reactions. It can impact the taste, odour and performance of manufactured products in the food & beverage and pharmaceutical industries. It can also cause damage to water treatment infrastructure and equipment such as RO membranes. In these instances, chlorine must be removed.

When free chlorine reacts with organic matter in water, new chemical compounds are formed. These chloramines pose health risks whilst also being damaging to building infrastructure. Chloramines are a common problem in swimming pools. The notorious and unpleasant ‘swimming pool’ smell is caused by chloramines. They have been linked to health problems such as eye and skin irritations and asthma. The corrosive nature of chloramines also poses a risk for swimming pool infrastructure and HVAC systems.

How it works

UV radiation removes chlorine and destroy chloramines through a process called photodegradation or photolysis. Both Low Pressure UV lamps and Medium Pressure (polychromatic) UV lamps have been shown to be effective.

As this is a specialist process, every application must be discussed prior to any solution being recommended.