Among chemical cleaning methods (ion exchange, adsorption etc) the most popular are germicidal agents, with chlorination considered the most effective.
One disadvantage is that chlorination of residual organic material can generate chlorinated-organic compounds that may be carcinogenic or harmful to the environment.
It can be synthesized from methyl formate and a mixture of phosphorus pentachloride and phosphorus oxychloride or by chlorination of chlorodimethyl ether.
The main operations performed by the treatment facilities are pre-chlorination, clarification by flocculation with a coagulant, sand filtration and disinfection with ozone and chlorine.
The compound is prepared by the chlorination of benzenesulfonic acid or its salts with phosphorus oxychloride or, less commonly, by a reaction between benzene and chlorosulfuric acid.
Some of the advantages of ozone include the production of fewer dangerous by-products and the absence of taste and odour problems (in comparison to chlorination).
