| Abstract: | ABSTRACT: The most common disinfection method is chlorination, however, it has been known that the practice of chlorination for water treatment in the Mississippi River area has caused a significant increase in mortality. The objective of this research was to search for effective disinfectants to replace chlorine. Three cationic surfactants have been tested for their bactericidal properties under various conditions. It has been found that 1 mg of cetyldimethyl-benzylammonium chloride can destroy about 4500 coliforms in one liter water within 10 minutes, under neutral pH conditions and room temperature. Cationic quaternary ammonium compound, therefore, can be a potential candidate disinfectant for replacing chlorine when necessary. |
