Bacteria are everywhere. Under ideal conditions, single cell organisms can multiply as frequently as once every 30 minutes. Within a 12-hour time frame, one cell can grow to more than 33 million. Due to the rapid growth tendencies it is crucial to choose the right disinfection technique.

At Irobiocide we heavily rely on oxidizing and non-oxidizing biocides to aid in the removal of biofilms within cooling towers. Microbicides are also widely accepted in other applications like commercial, healthcare food and beverage, as well as wastewater. This article will present a few of the most well-known oxidizing microbicides and their benefits as well as their most popular uses.

Choosing the Best Biocide for Your Project

There are a wide array of options to combat and limit the growth of microbial. Knowing the advantages and disadvantages of each can aid in determining the most effective solution for your water system.

Common Biocides and Disinfectants

Chlorine (sodium hydrochlorite).

Because it is inexpensive and readily available, chlorine is among of the most sought-after IRO Biocide. It's typically the most affordable option but, because of its oxidative and volatile nature, it can cause damage to your pipes. It's been proven to cause corrosion specifically in domestic cooling towers and water pipes systems if not fed in appropriate doses. Chlorine can also form NTM (trichloronitromethane).

Stabilized Bromine

Bromine that is stable is used for the disinfection of cooling towers and is a good choice for spas and other situations that have warmer water. Bromine is more costly than chlorine but it's more durable in higher temperatures. Bromine has a less unpleasant odor and is less irritating to the skin. It operates in a greater spectrum of pH levels, and disintegrates slowly, allowing you to ensure the quality of your water for a longer period of time.

Chlorine Dioxide

Chlorine dioxide, a molecule used in both domestic water and process water treatment, is a chemistry that is based on chlorine. Its capability to work in any kind of makeup water makes it a popular option. It can be able to penetrate both planktonic and sessile levels of the biofilm. It is more potent than chlorine, but it is less stable in hot water. Another drawback could be that a generator could be needed to create the chemical on-site.

Manufacturing application: Irobiocide recently used chlorine dioxide in their Whey manufacturing facility to clean their COW (Condensate of Whey) Water. COW water that is present in reverse osmosis systems could cause microbiological fouling, for example, ammonia condenser bulk, boiler feedwater, and membranes. The residual ClO2disinfectant took out the organics that caused the fouling, and the system was able work more efficiently.

Monochloramine

Monochloramines are the most durable of the three chlorine-based disinfectants. In addition, the stability improve the efficacy of the product and allow it to stay in solution for prolonged periods of time, but it is confirmed to be the least corrosive chlorine chemical. Its main function is the treatment of drinking water by disinfecting it and penetrating biofilm in healthcare domestic hot water systems.

Healthcare, Commercial & Industrial applications Irobiocide strongly suggests monochloramine for hot water systems with high levels of bacteria. Healthcare facilities should supplement their water with monochloramines because chlorine is the main disinfectant utilized in many municipalities. This can help fight waterborne pathogens that are intolerant to chlorine residuals that are low-free. Furthermore, because the hot water systems in homes are in temperatures that promote the growth of bacteria (70-110F), adding supplemental disinfection can help stop the growth of bacteria and eventually get rid of the biofilm.

Peracetic Acid

Peracetic acid is a low-cost biocide chemical which kills microbes without leaving residue on your GMP surfaces. It's a very low-risk chemical that produces a small amount of toxic by-products. It is extremely destructive, which is its biggest disadvantage. It is mostly used in the food and beverage industry, as well as in hospitals to sterilize equipment and instruments.

Food and beverages: Peracetic Acid is an oxidizer which can be used to sanitize food items and equipment used within the food processing industry. It is also suitable for air washers as a disinfectant because it produces no harmful byproducts.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is used as a biocide in order to stop the growth of microbial organisms in water systems.

Wastewater application: One Irobiocide wastewater customer has seen success feeding hydrogen peroxide into anaerobic materials prior to the screw press. Hydrogen peroxide can be added to the water to lyse bacteria. This allows liquid release from the solids, which permits more efficient dewatering. This results in lower feed rates for chemical substances and higher cake dryness following the screw press.