Decay of chlorine in diluted municipal effluents

Abstract

Laboratory studies were conducted to develop a model for the overall decay of total residual chlorine (TRC) under various conditions in the natural streams. This model assumes that a portion of the initial chlorine concentration is used to satisfy the immediate chlorine demand and the remainder is subject to gradual decay.The important parameters influencing the gradual decay of TRC, after mixing in the rivers, were found to be photolysis, evaporation, free radical oxidation, temperature, and turbulence. The decay rate is catalyzed by ultraviolet light and increases significantly as the ratio of area to volume of the container increases. The average level of turbulence in streams is found to approximately double the decay rate obtained under quiescent conditions. Key words: residual chlorine, natural streams, decay, evaporation, photolysis, turbulence, temperature effect, municipal effluents.