This article throws light upon the top fifteen uses of chlorine.
1. Chlorine is used as disinfectant for drinking water and wastewater.
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2. Effective disinfectant must be present at all parts of swimming pools to ensure rapid disinfection of their waters without becoming irritants due to release of large amount of mucus and nasopharyngeal organisms (caused due to breathing through mouth).
3. It prevents anaerobic condition in sewage systems and wastewater treatment works by reducing decomposition.
4. Destruction of hydrogen sulphide in water and wastewater is also possible with chlorine.
5. In alkaline industrial wastes, chlorine changes cyanides into cyanates such as NaOCN.
6. Chlorine destroys undesirable growth of algae and other related organisms in water and wastewater.
7. Chlorine also checks growth of iron fixing and slime forming bacteria in pipelines and other water conduits and of slime forming bacteria in sewers and wastewater treatment works.
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8. It destroys filter flies (psychoda) on trickling filters.
9. It improves the coagulation of water and wastewater.
10. It reduces BOD of wastewater.
11. It helps in stabilization of setting in tank sludge in water purification works.
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12. Free chlorine (via breakpoint chlorination) can control the growth of fresh water mussels and clams in conduits.
13. At the time of reduction of BOD by chlorine, four kinds of reactions take place:
(a) Direct oxidation of BOD excreting compounds;
(b) Formation with carbon compounds of substances which are non – decomposable;
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(c) With unsaturated compounds, chlorine forms non-decomposable substances; and
(d) Formation of bactericidal chloramines with nitrogen compounds.
14. Chlorination of a fresh sewage will inhibit bacterial action.
15. Chlorine is used in treatment of certain industrial wastes, phenols and textile wastes.