SAFE AND ECONOMICAL CHLORINE DIOXIDE GENERATION

SAFE, COST EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVES TO CHLORINE TREATMENT OF DRINKING WATER FOR DISTRIBUTION AND DISINFECTION HAVE BEEN SOUGHT FOR SOME TIME. CHLORINE DIOXIDE IS A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TO CHLORINE FOR THE TREATMENT OF EVEN POOR QUALITY WATER SUPPLIES AND THE REDUCTION OF POTENTIAL CANCER CAUSING CHLORINATED ORGANICS. ITS WIDESPREAD USE HAS BEEN INHIBITED BY THE COSTS AND/OR COMPLEXITY OF ITS PRODUCTION, CONTAMINANTS, AND LOW VALUE BY-PRODUCTS. AN ELECTROCHEMICAL METHOD OF PRODUCING CONTAMINANT-FREE C102 FROM CHLORATE WHICH OFFERS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER COSTS, BETTER CONTROL OVER THE C102 PRODUCTION RATE, A MORE USEFUL BY-PRODUCT, NO RESIDUAL WASTE, AND SAFER OPERATION COMPARED WITH CONVENTIONAL CHLORATE ROUTES, IS PROPOSED TO OVERCOME THESE INHIBITIONS.