TREATMENT OF WATER BY FLOTATION
Abstract
Bacteria, amoebic cysts, and staphylococcus phage particles used as virus simulants, were effectively removed from distilled water suspensions under laboratory conditions, by aerating those suspensions for five to ten minutes with fine bubbles, after addition of 5 or 10 mg/1 of several quaternary ammonium compounds. The organisms were presumably either killed by the disinfecting action of the quaternaries, or removed in the foam of air bubbles coming off the suspensions or both. The procedure seemed to offer promise as a means for rapid purification of water with simple equipment in the field. Further investigation showed that the removal was adversely affected by lowering the temperature of the water. It was also adversely affected by several components present in natural waters: those identified in the time available for research were (1) the hardness ions, Ca(++) and Mg(++) (2) trivalent ions such as Al(+++) and presumably Fe(+++) (3) organic color compounds and presumably other organic matter (4) turbidity when present along with factor (1).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 31, 1954
- Accession Number
- AD0611443
Entities
People
- Edward W. Moore
- George T. Bryant
Organizations
- Harvard College