Method of disinfection of drinking water using ozone and silver cations

Abstract

Microbiologically safe and healthy drinking water is prepared from raw water by clarifying and disinfecting it with reactive oxygen derivatives and silver ions. Initially, the water is treated with ozone until a suitable concentration of 0.1-0.5 mg/l of ozone in the water is reached, after that the required amount of silver cations disinfectant solution is supplied into the water so that the silver concentration is 0.02-0.1 mg/l. A stable and safe silver disinfectant solution is used without the use of electrolysis equipment. The solution is stabilized with alkaline earth and/or alkali metal cations, which positively complement the overall intake of minerals. By using such a method, the water stored in the open is protected from secondary microbial contamination for a long time, particularly, longer than 3 months.

Claims

1. A method of disinfecting drinking water comprising ozonizing the drinking water and treatment of the drinking water with silver ions, wherein said method comprises: a) ozonizing the drinking water until the concentration of ozone in the drinking water becomes 0.1-0.5 mg/L, b) maintaining said ozonized drinking water for up to 60 minutes and treating the ozonized drinking water with a stable solution consisting essentially of dissolved silver ions and at least one of, alkaline earth and alkaline metal salts, by supplying such amount of said stable solution to the said ozonized drinking water, so that the silver ion concentration in drinking water would be from 0.02 to 0.1 mg/L; wherein the solution is prepared by dissolving metallic silver in the presence of a high concentration of at least one of alkaline earth or alkaline metal salts; wherein the silver cations are derived not by way of electrolysis prior to water treatment and wherein the at least one of, alkaline earth and alkaline metal salts of the stable solution is configured to convert silver ions into insoluble compounds in the ozonized drinking water.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one of, alkaline earth and alkaline metal salts are selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, sodium iodide and potassium iodide.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said solution is stable and no precipitate is formed even when stored exposed to sunlight for more than 2 years.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mass ratio of sodium and potassium ions in the ozonized water after treatment of the water with the stable solution becomes 0.2<Na.sup.+/K.sup.+<1, where Na.sup.+<100 mg.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the drinking water kept in the open is protected from secondary microbiological contamination more than 3 months.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein said solution is stable and no precipitate is formed when stored exposed to sunlight for more than 2 years.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein the drinking water kept in the open is protected from secondary microbiological contamination for more than 3 months.

8. The method according to claim 3, wherein the drinking water kept in the open is protected from secondary microbiological contamination for more than 3 months.

9. The method according to claim 4, wherein the drinking water kept in the open is protected from secondary microbiological contamination for more than 3 months.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the drinking water kept in the open is protected from secondary microbiological contamination for more than 3 months.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Other features and advantages of the invention are described in the detailed descriptions of present invention with reference to the following drawing:

(2) FIG. 1. Scheme for the preparation of safe and healthy drinking water.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(3) It should be understood that numerous specific details are set out in order to provide a complete and comprehensive description of the model embodiment of the invention. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the level of detail of the embodiment does not limit embodiments of the invention, which can be embodied without such specific instructions. Well-known methods, procedures and components have not been described in detail for the embodiment examples not to be misleading. In addition, this description shall not be considered as limiting the provided embodiment examples.

(4) Safe and useful for the human body drinking water is prepared by means of clarifying and disinfecting raw water with reactive oxygen derivatives and disinfecting solution made on the base of stable silver ions, which supplements the water with useful minerals.

(5) After the first step of raw water preparation, e.g. filtering, depending on the source, is ozonized so that the final concentration of ozone in it would be from 0.1 to 0.5 mg/L. After the ozonisation the water is maintained up to 60 minutes prior to the supply of silver ion solution to it in order to obtain a final concentration of silver from 0.02 to 0.1 mg/L in the prepared water.

(6) The said disinfectant solution of silver ions is prepared by dissolving the required amount of at least one type of mineral substances in the water, which are salts selected from the group consisting of: sodium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, sodium iodide, potassium iodide. A required amount of water-soluble or water-insoluble silver compounds or metallic silver is dissolved in this solution by stirring it intensively. Thermal energy can be used to accelerate the dissolution. Such solution consisting of silver ions (2-3500 ppm), alkaline and/or alkaline-earth metal salts and water is stable and does not lose clarity when stored exposed to the sunlight longer than 2 years.

(7) Drinking water always contains a certain number of compounds binding silver ions into insoluble compounds. However, if during the disinfection an excessive amount of silver ions gets into the water, the number of compounds naturally present in the water is insufficient to bind all the silver ions into the insoluble compounds. Said mineral substances, in case of the overdose of the disinfectant solution in the disinfected water, convert the excess silver ions into insoluble compounds, and the reactivity of the latter compounds with the human biological molecules is lower than that of soluble silver compounds.

(8) During the disinfection process, insoluble particles of silver compounds or silver of smaller dimensions, as compared to particles formed using an electrolytic equipment or when disinfecting water with a solution of a water-soluble silver salts (silver nitrate), form in the water. Surface area ratio to mass of particles of smaller dimensions is greater, therefore, the greater part of silver atoms or ions have a direct contact with the environment and can participate in the reactions.

(9) When using drinking water disinfection method, it is possible to prepare water positively supplementing the body with mineral substances, wherein the weight ratio of sodium and potassium ions in the water after the treatment of the water with a stable solution of silver, alkaline earth and/or alkali metal cations becomes 0.2<Na.sup.+/K.sup.+<1, where Na.sup.+<100 mg. Such disinfecting solution is safer than conventional disinfecting solutions containing silver ions.

(10) Description of the Preferred Embodiments

(11) The examples illustrate the present invention, and do not limit the scope of the invention.

EXAMPLE 1

(12) Deep well water filtered and treated with ozone: ozone concentration in the water was 0.3 mg/L. The basic composition of the raw water before ozonization is presented in Table 1. After treatment with ozone, a required amount of silver ions disinfectant was supplied into the water by a dosage pump so that the concentration of silver in the water would reach 0.02 mg/L or 0.045 mg/L. The composition of prepared drinking water is provided in Table 2. Drinking water was bottled into 19-liter drinking water bottles and stored in these open containers, monitoring the dynamic changes in the microbiological indicators of water specified in Table 5. Microbial contamination in the prepared drinking water was not observed during the 3 months of the test. Meanwhile in ozonized water but untreated with the disinfectant microbiological contamination was found after just 6-9 days (>1000 KSV/ml).

EXAMPLE 2

(13) Deep well water filtered and treated with ozone: ozone concentration in the water was 0.3 mg/L. The basic composition of the raw water before ozonization is presented in Table 1. After treatment with ozone, after 6 minutes, a required amount of silver ions disinfectant was supplied into the water by a dosage pump so that the concentration of silver in the water would reach 0.02 mg/L and the mass ratio of sodium and potassium ions would be 0.2<Na.sup.+/K.sup.+<1. The composition of prepared drinking water is provided in Table 3. Drinking water was bottled into 19-liter drinking water bottles and stored in these open containers, monitoring the dynamic changes in the microbiological indicators of water specified in Table 5. Microbial contamination in the prepared drinking water was not recorded during the 3 months of the test. Meanwhile, in the water, which was ozonized but untreated with the disinfectant, microbiological contamination was found after just 6-9 days (>1000 KSV/ml).

EXAMPLE 3

(14) Deep well water filtered and treated with ozone: ozone concentration in the water was 0.3 mg/L. The basic composition of the raw water before ozonization is presented in Table 1. After treatment with ozone, after 6 minutes, a required amount of silver ions disinfectant was supplied into the water by a dosage pump so that the concentration of silver in the water would reach 0.02 mg/L, the mass ratio of sodium and potassium ions would be 0.2<Na.sup.+/K.sup.+<1, whereas concentrations of magnesium and calcium would reach K.sup.+=Mg.sup.2+=Ca.sup.2+=50 mg/L. The composition of prepared drinking water is provided in Table 4. Drinking water was bottled into 19-liter drinking water bottles and stored in these open containers, monitoring the dynamic changes in the microbiological indicators of water contained in Table 5. Microbial contamination in prepared drinking water was not observed during the 3 months of the test. Meanwhile in the water, which was ozonized but untreated with the disinfectant, microbiological contamination was found after just 6-9 days (>1000 KSV/ml).

(15) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 The basic composition of the raw water before treatment with ozone Ions Amount, mg/L Sodium 11 Potassium 8 Calcium 26 Magnesium 14 Chlorides 111

(16) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 The basic composition of the drinking water prepared according to Example 1 Ions Amount, mg/L Sodium 15 Potassium 8 Calcium 26 Magnesium 14 Chlorides 117 Silver 0.02 or 0.045

(17) TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 The basic composition of the drinking water prepared according to Example 2 Ions Amount, mg/L Sodium 11 Potassium 30 Calcium 26 Magnesium 14 Chlorides 131 Silver 0.02

(18) TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 The basic composition of the drinking water prepared according to Example 3 Ions Amount, mg/L Sodium 11 Potassium 50 Calcium 50 Magnesium 50 Chlorides 297 Silver 0.02

(19) TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 5 The dynamics of microbiological indicators of drinking water The number of colony-forming units, KSV/ml Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Duration Ozonized Ozonized Ozonized Ozonized from the water + water + water + water + start of Disinfectant Disinfectant Disinfectant Disinfectant the solution solution solution solution Ozonized experiment, (Ag = 0.045 mg/kg) (Ag = 0.02 mg/kg) (Ag = 0.02 mg/kg) (Ag = 0.02 mg/kg) water days 22 C. 37 C. 22 C. 37 C. 22 C. 37 C. 22 C. 37 C. 22 C. 37 C. 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 6 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 60 20 9 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1500 1460 16 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1590 1450 23 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 34 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 48 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 90 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

(20) Although numerous characteristics and advantages of the invention have been listed in the description together with structural details and features of the invention, the description is provided as a model embodiment of the invention. There may be changes in the details, especially in the form, size and layout of substances without departing from the principles of the invention, and in accordance with the most widely comprehensible meanings of concepts used in the items of the claim.