Effective Removal of Chlorine and Chloramines: Key Strategies for Optimizing Water Treatment and Cost Analysis

Chlorine and chloramines, which are widely used in municipal water supply, are effective in disinfection, but their residuals are a threat to human health and affect the quality of industrial products. This article systematically analyzes the principles, cost-effectiveness and application scenarios of four mainstream removal technologies (activated carbon adsorption, reverse osmosis, catalytic carbon filtration and chemical dechlorination), and combines data from authoritative institutions with a cost comparison table of the equipments, to provide a scientific selection guide for households and industrial enterprises.

Harmful Analysis of Chlorine and Chloramine Residues

1.Health Risks and Economic Costs

According to WHO Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality, long term exposure to water sources with excessive chloramine will increase the risk of liver cancer by 12%-15% (WHO, 2021). According to the US EPA, the annual maintenance cost of industrial equipment due to chlorine corrosion is $420 million (EPA Water Treatment Report).

2.Comparison of Industry Impact Data

Comparison of the Cost and Benifit of Four Types of Removal Techniques

1.Activated Carbon Adsorption System

Principle: Physical adsorption of chlorine molecules through the structure of micropores (adsorption rate >95%) Cost model (for example, with a capacity of 1,000L/h):

• Initial investment: $800-$1,500
• Replacement of filter cartridges Cycle time: 6-12 months ($120/each) Scenario: Household water, small food processing plant (example: Brother Filtration CF-2000 system)

2. Reverse osmosis (RO) technology

Principle: 0.0001μm pore size membrane separates contaminants Authoritative data:

NSF/ANSI 58 certified system chloramine removal rate of 99.6% Cost Comparison:

3. Catalytic Carbon Filtration

Technology Breakthrough: Breakdown of chloramine by oxidation and reduction (reaction). Breakthrough: Decompose chloramine by oxidation and reduction (reaction rate 3 times faster than ordinary carbon) Experimental data: 90% of chloramine can be removed by 15 seconds contact time at pH 6.5.

4.Chemical dechlorination

Economic analysis:

• Vitamin C method: cost $0.03 for treating 1 ton of water, suitable for emergency use
• Sodium bisulphite method: need to precisely control the dosage (overdose) and the amount of water to be treated (overdose). Sodium bisulfite: requires precise control of dosage (excessive dosage leads to SO2 contamination)

Industrial Solution Selection Matrix

Practical Guidelines for Industry Applications

1 Food & Beverage Industry

Recommends the adoption of the "Catalytic Carbon + Ultraviolet Light "Dual-stage treatment (payback period of 2.3 years) is recommended to avoid loss of heat-sensitive substances. Refer to FDA Food Processing Water Standards

2 Electronics Manufacturing

To reach ASTM E1 ultra-pure water standard, it is recommended to configure “RO+Mixed-bed Resin” system, and the monitoring cases show that the yield rate is increased by 18%.

Conclusion

In the field of chloramine treatment, the catalytic carbon technology has the advantages of $0.5mm, $0.4mm, and $0.2mm, but the catalytic carbon technology has the advantages of $0.5mm. In the field of chloramine treatment, catalytic carbon technology has become the most cost-effective choice with a comprehensive treatment cost of $0.05/L, while reverse osmosis remains irreplaceable in the preparation of ultrapure water. Enterprises are recommended to obtain real-time data through AWWA Water Quality Testing Platform, and formulate accurate budgets in conjunction with this cost model. With advances in material technology, novel solutions such as graphene adsorption membranes are expected to reduce treatment costs by 40% in the next five years.