The stability in water of a novel new chloramine agent, 3‐chloro‐4, 4‐dimethyl‐2‐oxazolidinone (agent I), which is an excellent water disinfectant, has been compared to the stabilities of several other water disinfectants. The agents tested in addition to agent I included N‐chlorosuccinimide, 2, 4‐dichloro‐5, 5‐dimethylhydantoin, tichloroisocyanuric acid, calcium hypochlorite, commercial grade HTH, and household bleach. The total chlorine content of a water solution of agent I in a demand free environment remains constant over a period of at least eight weeks, while that for all of the other agents declines markedly over that time period. An explanation for these observations will be offered. Prior work in these laboratories concerning use of agent I as a disinfectant for lake water in a laboratory scale treatment plant had shown that agent I has considerable potential for use as an alternative to chlorine gas for water disinfection.
A new chloramine agent, 3‐chloio‐4, 4‐dimethyl‐2‐oxazolidinone, has been tested in a laboratory scale water treatment plant as to its efficacy in water disinfection. The agent seems to be equally effective as compared to chlorine gas in this application. The results of preliminary toxicity studies on the agent are very encouraging. The agent has a long shelf life both in water solution and in the solid state. Being a solid, the agent is clearly less hazardous to handle than chlorine gas. The agent appears to inhibit oxidative corrosion of metals as well. The agent is less likely to produce toxic halocarbons (e.g., chloroform) in water than is chlorine gas. Possibly most important from the standpoint of water disinfection, the agent is a “slow release” one for its positive chlorine, which provides prolonged bactericidal activity.
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