Is hydrogen peroxide used for drinking water disinfection?
Among other applications, hydrogen peroxide is used as a disinfectant. It is used to treat inflammation of the gums and to disinfect (drinking) water. It is also used to combat excessive microbial growth in water systems and cooling towers. In the United States, hydrogen peroxide is used more and more frequently to treat individual water supplies. It is used to prevent the formation of colors, tastes, corrosion and scaling by pollution degradation (iron, manganese, sulfates) and micro-organism degradation. Hydrogen peroxide reacts very fast. It will than disintegrate into hydrogen and water, without the formation of byproducts. This increases the amount of oxygen in water. The disinfection mechanism of hydrogen peroxide is based on the release of free oxygen radicals: H2O2 —> H2O + O2 In the 1950’s, hydrogen peroxide was first used for drinking water disinfection in Eastern Europe. It is known for its high oxidative and biocide efficiency. Hydrogen peroxide has not been used often fo
