Break Point Chlorination

• Introduction

Chlorine is a Disinfecting agent it is use in the process of water disinfection it helps in removing organic matters and harmful bacteria's from water.Chlorine enters in the cell walls of bacteria and kills the enzymes which are essential for their metabolic processes,and finally it destroy the bacteria and clean the water .

• Definition

Break point chlorination is the dose of chlorine should be added in water for disinfection process beyond which further addition of chlorine will appear as free residualchlorine.

Break point chlorination gives an idea about amount of chlorine required in disinfection process.

• Explanation

When we start adding chlorine in water this chlorine consumed in removing the Bacteria's and organic matter , so we need to add that amount of chlorine which can remove all the bacteria and organic matter.

Now when all the organic matters and bacteria removed, if we add further amount of chlorine in water this chlorine dose not involved in any chemical reaction and it appears as Free Residual Chlorine means it remains in its original form.

The point above which chlorine remain as Free Residual Chlorine is Break Point (See the graph- in graph point C is Break Point)

• Graph