The Ozmotics Insider

The importance of maintaining a sterile and clean environment in the wine industry is immense. Cross contamination between batches of wine is a major concern and so is the management of the active yeast.

The yeast is a major ingredient in the fermentation process and without it the fermentation process would not occur. However, the Brettanomyces (a non-spore forming genus of yeast in the family Saccharomycetaceae) can contaminate the finished wine product and give it an undesired off-flavor.

While the Brettanomyces is a desired ingredient to some wines and according to some wine makers that rely on Brettanomyces to give their distinctive character (i.e. Château Musar), most wine producers see the Brettanomyces as a wine spoiler (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brettanomyces)

Benefits of Ozone in the Wine Making Process

It is well known fact that the best recognized wine brands often obtain their finishing palate and bouquet (distinctive trademark flavor and smell) by being stored in oak barrels as part of the aging process. To retain such distinctive flavor, it is important that those barrels be kept free of contaminants that can spoil the wine.

Use of chlorine to sanitize oak barrels is not recommended since the oak barrels will absorb the chlorine during the washing process and release it during the wine storing process therefore running the risk to spoil the batch pf wine being stored in the chlorine contaminated barrel.

Ozone is well known as being as effective as chlorine in oxidizing organic matter as well as killing any microbiological growth. However unlike chlorine, it will not leach into the oak barrels and will revert quickly back to its more stable oxygen form shortly after treatment. As such the use of ozone for washing the barrels between the batches is well preferred over the use of chlorine.

Ozone is also effective in killing the active yeast growth (Brettanomyces ) so the proper ozonation of wine barrels and other surfaces that may come in touch with the wine during the fermentation and/or storage of the wine, will help greatly reduce the development of the off-taste and spoilage of the wine.

Portability of the Ozone Equipment

The second large benefit of using ozone in the wine making industry is the portability of the ozone making equipment and technology. Ozone is typically generated on-site using ambient air and the entire ozonation skid can be made to be portable therefore allowing it to be moved from place to place without the need to disassemble or reassemble the equipment.

This portability means that even the smallest winery can easily acquire the necessary ozonation equipment and use it to aid in maintaining the proper sanitation levels of the wine making and storing equipment and facilities.

On-site Cleaning

While barrel and fermentation tank sanitation are a lesser problem because of the ready access and area to spray wash the surface, the cleaning of pipes and other infrastructure used to transfer the wine between the many vessels used within the different stages of the wine making process, is a far more delicate and complex operation. As such it is not a wonder that many wineries report the contamination to happen exactly at this stage (inside piping and other small chamber areas where proper washing and sanitation is hard to accomplish). Use of ozone for the on-site cleaning and sanitation of areas has proven more effective than any other method and the related contamination and undesired microbiological growth has been effectively eliminated.

Cleaning in place involves injecting the ozonated water inside the pipes and other small vessels typically difficult to decontaminate in any other conventional way. The ozonated water will clean and effectively decontaminate the inside of the equipment therefore preventing the cross contamination of the new batch of wine.

Sanitizing the wine making, transportation and storage equipment with about 2.5 ppm of ozone for approximately 2 to 5 minutes after the hot water wash has been applied, is a recommended practice for sanitizing (source: International Ozone Application – “Ozone in Wine Industry” publication , http://www.io3a.org).

General Area Cleaning and Sanitation

Ozone is also effective at general area cleaning and sanitation as well.

For example ozone can be used to clean common areas such as passages, catwalks and other areas used to gain access to wine making and storage equipment areas.

Using ozone to decontaminate such areas is also a very good practice and the same equipment that is used to wash the wine barrels, pipes and inside of the fermentation tanks can be used with minimal or no modification to wash and sanitize the general areas and infrastructure.

Conclusion

The benefits of using ozone in the wine making process are many. From the accessibility of the technology and portability of the ozone generating equipment to the ability to use ozone in many other processes and areas within the winery, ozone has proven to be a wine maker’s best friend.

If you require additional information about the ozone technology, engineering and design of the turn-key ozone injection skid or if you need help sizing a unit please contact your Ozmotics representative at 1-877-386-3763.

Ozone is well known for its ability to destroy a wide variety of pathogens, bacteria and other micro organisms that may contaminate drinking water.

Chlorine has been used in the past as the most common drinking water additive to keep the water free of the microbiological organisms that may find their way inside the holding water reservoir or other waterway infrastructure.

However the problem with chlorine is that it leaves chemical residue that may leave an after taste in the water as well as creates other problems if the treated water is to be used for applications other than drinking and cooking.

Drinking Chlorinated Water – The Risks

Chlorinated drinking water may have dangerous levels of chloramines and other chemical byproducts if directly injected into a fish tank or other body of water where increased levels of ammonia are commonly found.

The other potential danger of chlorinated water is that some research suggests that when chlorine and humic acid interact a by-product group of mutagenic substances (halogenated) could possibly represent a significant genetic or carcinogenic risk to the human population (Source: Mutagenic By-Products from Chlorination of Humic Acid by John R. Meier, H. Paul Ringhand, W. Emile Coleman, Kathy M. Schenck, Jean W. Munch, Robert P. Streicher, William H. Kaylor, and Frederick C. Kopfler, published in: Environmental Health Perspectives Vol. 69, pp. 101-107, 1986).

Humic acid is one of the major components of humic substances[1] which are dark brown and major constituents of humus soil organic matter that contributes to the soil’s chemical and physical quality, and are also precursors of some fossil fuels. They can also be found in peat, coal, many upland streams, dystrophic lakes and ocean water (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humic_acid).

Since so much of city and municipal clean water ends up being used in other applications the question of the interaction of the chlorine with the humic acid and mutagens that find their way back into our water shed and from there into the food chain, should be further investigated.

Ozone as an Alternative to Chlorine in Drinking Water

Ozone is just as effective in inactivating the potential biological micro organisms that may find their way into municipal drinking water. Furthermore, ozone is effective in also killing  microbiological organisms that cannot be destroyed by chlorinating it (cysts such as Guardia lamblia and Guardia muris that are very resistant to chlorination). For more information on the biological sanitizing capabilities of the ozone in comparison to the biological sanitzing capabilities of chlorine please read the article: Use of ozone for waste water treatment: http://www.ozmoticsinsider.com/2008/11/use-of-ozone-for-waste-water-treatment/

Other Benefits of Using Ozone in Drinking Water

Unlike chlorine, ozone will not leave any post treatment residue and therefore the taste of water treated with ozone is very pure and refreshing. Ozone will also oxidize many other trace elements such as iron and sulfur which had been typically associated with the fresh water after taste.

In addition to biological micro organisms sterilization and the oxidation of the trace organic substances in drinking water, ozone will also help keep bottled water fresh and eliminate the stale water taste that is commonly reported if the bottled water is kept to long between bottling, distribution and finally … consumption. Many sources report that bottled water treated with ozone stays pure and after taste free for as long as a year or longer thereby increasing its shelf life.

The Disadvantages of Ozone Used In Municipal Drinking Water

One of the disadvantages of ozone compared to chlorine in treating municipal drinking water is that ozone leaves no safeguard against the re-growth or re-contamination of purified water. Unlike chlorine which has a much larger half-life and can stay as a trace element in the chlorinated water (therefore eliminating the need to re-treat the water) ozone will vacate the treated water quickly and completely leaving it pure and trace contaminants free. It is, however,  also susceptible to the accidental re-contamination should the contaminant find its way into the treated water body after it has been ozonated.

Using Ozone To Treat Drinking Water – Conclusion

Because of the inherent risk of the re-contamination, ozone may not be ideal as a sole treatment medium for large city and municipal drinking water delivery networks but it still can be incorporated as a primary treatment mechanism while chlorine could be added only as a preservative (in the maintenance stage of the drinking water delivery infrastructure). By eliminating the chlorine as a primary treatment agent for treating drinking water, the amounts of trace chlorine that finds its way to our tap water and from there to all other applications that the common municipal tap water supply is being used for, we are eliminating all risks that chlorine is associated with.

Furthermore, the introduction of ozone into the municipal drinking water treatment and processing, the final product (the water that finds the way to the consumer’s taps) will also be free of  microbiological organisms that are resistant or difficult to treat with chlorine only (cysts, etc.).

For the application of ozone in the water bottling industry, the addition of ozone before the treated water is to reach the batch processing is of a great benefit. The ozonated water will taste more pure (no after taste, discoloration or contamination) and will stay pure longer therefore enhancing the quality of the product and the overall satisfaction the end-user will have with the ozonated bottled water product versus the product where ozone has not been used.

If you have an application that requires drinking water treatment and need help sizing a unit please contact an Ozmotics representative at 1-877-386-3763.

The rapid global increase of the population as well as the industrialization of the global economy have put the human population in direct or indirect exposure with waste water.

The exposure to waste water and microbiological organisms found within it is one of the biggest concerns in third world countries. Interestingly, the issue of accidental exposure and contamination of  drinking water with microbiological organisms commonly found in waste water, has not eluded even developed countries.

The commonly found organisms in domestic wastewater include enteric bacteria, viruses, and protozoan cysts. Most of these organisms had been closely linked to the outbreak of illnesses that range in severity from minor to most serious or even deadly.

The following is a short-list of bacteria and the associated illnesses each is responsible for:

Bacteria

• - Escherichia coli (enterotoxigenic) – Causes Gastroenteritis
• - Leptospira (spp.) – Causes Leptospirosis
• - Salmonella typhi – Causes Typhoid fever
• - Salmonella (≈2,100 serotypes) – Causes Salmonellosis
• - Shigella (4 spp.) – Causes Shigellosis (bacillary dysentery).
• - Vibrio cholerae -  Causes Cholera

Protozoa

• - Balantidium coli  – Causes Balantidiasis
• - Cryptosporidium parvum – Causes Cryptosporidiosis
• - Entamoeba histolytica – Causes Amebiasis (amoebic dysentery)
• - Giardia lamblia – Causes Giardiasis

Helminths

• - Ascaris lumbricoides – Causes Ascariasis
• - T. solium -  Causes Taeniasis
• - Trichuris trichiura – Causes Trichuriasis

Viruses

Enteroviruses (72 types, e.g.,  polio, echo, and coxsackie virus) – Cause Gastroenteritis, heart anomalies, meningitis.

• - Hepatitis A virus – Cause Infectious hepatitis
• - Norwalk agent  – Cause Gastroenteritis
• - Rotavirus – Cause Gastroenteritis

> Source: National Small Flow Clearinghouse: http://www.nesc.wvu.edu

Waste Water Treatment:

Historically, three distinct technologies have been used to treat waste water and destroy the microbiological contaminants within it.

1. UV Radiation - UV radiation is generated using an electrical discharge through a mercury vapor medium. The resulting UV radiation is used to incapacitate and destroy the microbiological growth inside the waste water.
2. Chlorination – Perhaps the most widely-used method for disinfecting waste water. Chlorine is a strong oxidant that destroys microbiological growth by oxidizing cellular material.
3. Ozonation – Ozone is also known as a strong oxidizing agent. In fact, the oxidation potential of ozone is much higher than the oxidation potential of chlorine (2.07 versus chlorine oxidation potential of 1.36).

Ozone versus Chlorine (Pros and Cons):

Perhaps the largest advantage of chlorine is the initial cost of the system. Chlorine is typically produced off-site and brought on-site for the treatment. As such the initial costs are typically lower.

Ozone treatment may on the other hand require a larger initial capital investment since ozone is typically produced on-site (due to the short life of the ozone, which is highly reactive) will quickly revert to more stable oxygen molecule.

However, once the technology is procured and installed the only additional cost of operating it is the cost of electricity and scheduled maintenance costs of the equipment therefore making the ozone less costly to use in the long-term.

Unlike chlorine, ozone leaves no residual trace elements once the treatment has been completed (any unused ozone will simply revert back to the more stable oxygen molecule). As such ozone is preferred where the water will be discharged back into the environment as it produces no trace residual pollutants.  The main downside of ozone, however is that it must be constantly introduced into the water being treated (even after the treatment) to prevent the recontamination of the water. Chlorine on the other hand can be dissolved and remain in the treated water therefore no follow-up treatment is needed.

The Method of Ozone Disinfection:

It is widely believed that ozone kills viruses, bacteria and other microbiological organisms by attacking the inner membrane wall of the microbiological organism’s cellular structure.

The effectiveness of ozone to destroy bacteria viruses and other microbiological organisms had been tested and results published in several scientific papers and other journals. The following is a summary of results published to date:

• - E. coli – Destroyed with 0.02 mg.min/l of O3 at pH: 6 to 7
• - Poliovirus 1 – Destroyed with 0.1-0.2 mg.min/l of O3 at pH: 6 to 7
• - Rotavirus  – Destroyed with 0.006-0.06 mg.min/l of O3 at pH: 6 to 7
• - Giardia lamblia cysts  – Destroyed 0.5-0.6 mg.min/l of O3 at pH: 6 to 7
• - Giardia muris cysts – - Destroyed 1.8-2.0 mg.min/l of O3 at pH: 6 to 7

The same experiment repeated at the same pH level using the chlorine as a disinfection agent:

• - E. coli – Destroyed with 0.034-0.05 mg.min/l of Cl at pH: 6 to 7
• - Poliovirus 1 – Destroyed with 1.1-2.5 mg.min/l of Cl at pH: 6 to 7
• - Rotavirus  – Destroyed with 0.01-0.05 mg.min/l of Cl at pH: 6 to 7
• - Giardia lamblia cysts  – Destroyed 47->150 mg.min/l of Cl at pH: 6 to 7
• - Giardia muris cysts  – Destroyed 30-630 mg.min/l of Cl at pH: 6 to 7

Note – For the destruction of the Giardia muris cysts, chlorine dioxide (ClO2) is reported as more effective although for all other biological organisms reported above, the concentration of chlorine dioxide was at par or significantly higher compared to simple chlorine molecule.

• - Giardia muris cysts  – Destroyed 7.2-18.5 mg.min/l of ClO2 at pH: 6 to 7

> Source: Ozonia Ltd – Switzerland

Using Ozone for Waste Water Treatment (Conclusion):

With the exception of the initial cost to deploy the technology, ozone has proven to be more effective, more environmentally friendly and has longer-term economical benefits to use in the waste water treatment process.  Unlike chlorine, ozone is effective in destroying a wide spectrum of microbiological organisms including some protozoa (Giardia lamblia and giardia muris cysts) which have been shown to be extremely resistant to chlorine.

If you have an application that requires waste water disinfection or treatment and need help sizing a unit please contact your Ozmotics representative at 1-877-386-3763.

Many configurations had been developed and tried and there may be further variations in the design of a turn-key ozone injection skid but in general the principle is fairly similar. Here we will attempt to outline the major components of the system.

Ozone injection skid – The process explained:

Step 1 – The Air Dryer

Using the corona discharge ozone generator and the oxygen concentrator (oxygen fed  ozone generator), the ozone injection skid typically follows the line process by which the ambient air is first circulated through the air dryer (the ambient air must be sufficiently dry and free of moisture in order to be used as a feed for the oxygen concentrator).

Step 2 – The Oxygen Concentrator

The Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen concentrator is commonly used to generate the high concentration oxygen feed that is required for the production of the ozone. To learn more about the pressure swing adsorption principle and understand how the PSA concentrator is used to efficiently and economically purify and concentrate the oxygen from the ambient air we invite you to read this article:

http://www.ozmoticsinsider.com/2008/10/pressure-swing-adsorption-psa-%e2%80%93-the-typical-layout-of-the-psa-oxygen-concentrator/

It is recommended to plan for the future and always install the larger oxygen concentrator unit than the immediate demand of the ozone generator equipment. While with some insightful planning and design (building a modular rack that can hold multiple ozone generator units) one can make the system expandable for the future growth and demand if the oxygen concentrator cannot produce enough oxygen gas feed as required by the expanded system, the entire concentrator will need to be replaced. Therefore it is always better to plan for a larger oxygen concentrator unit than what the immediate ozone generator input requirement directs.

Step 3- The Ozone Generator

The corona discharge generator is typically recommended for higher capacity ozone production since it can produce more ozone at a higher concentration compared to UV ozone generators. The corona discharge ozone generator is also typically smaller and more compact therefore more practical to use in the engineering design of an ozone injection skid.

The modular design is highly recommended for the planning and integration of the ozone generator meaning that multiple smaller capacity ozone generator units are preferred over a single larger capacity ozone generator unit.

By installing high quality ozone generators in multiple unit configurations, even if the single ozone generator cell is to fail, the other cells will still continue generating the ozone therefore allowing for the uninterrupted and continued ozonation operation.

Step 4 – Static Mixer and Venturi Injector

The efficiency of ozone to react with the water or other intended substance is strongly correlated with the contact area between the ozone and the substance you’re treating.

For aqueous ozone injecting applications (injecting the ozone in water or other liquid solutions), two methods are commonly used. The first method using an air stone diffuser will generate larger ozone gas bubbles therefore decreasing the available contact area of ozone to water. As such an air diffuser is not recommended in the design of the ozone injection system.

The Venturi injector is capable of diffusing the ozone gas as a much smaller bubbles therefore cumulatively increasing the contact area of ozone to the water or other liquid medium where ozone is to be injected. As such more ozone is used in the process and less residual ozone ends up escaping the system therefore lowering the production demand as well as the size of the ozone destruct equipment (used to destroy any escaped ozone from the contact chamber).

Step 5 – Contact tank

The ozone is typically mixed with water in a higher concentration than required (concentrated mix) and let to dissolve inside a contact tank. The contact tank will usually be designed with the obstacles (baffle) to allow the water to flow longer inside the tank before it exits and therefore allowing higher concentration of ozone to be dissolved in the water or other liquid used as the solvent.

Step 6 – Ozone destruct unit

Ozone destruct unit is used to destroy any unused ozone escaping from the contact tank. The destruct unit is usually a chamber in which a catalyst is packed (a catalyst will help break out ozone back into the oxygen before it is vacated to the outside of the contact tank. To ensure that no moisture enters the catalyst chamber, a water trap is typically installed in between the contact tank and the ozone destruct unit (to trap and collect any moisture escaping from the contact tank.

Step 7 – Ozone mixing chamber

The ozone mixing chamber is typically an external tank where the untreated water is mixed with the water from the smaller contact tank (where the higher than required concentration of ozone is dissolved to create a concentrated mix of water and ozone).

By mixing the high concentration of the dissolved ozone from the contact tank with the untreated water the diluted equilibrium of the desired ozone concentration is achieved in the entire body of the water (or other liquid to be ozonated). By increasing or decreasing the flow of water from the contact tank, the concentration of the ozone in the mixing chamber can be achieved.

Step 8 – Ozone Injection Skid Architecture Design (Conclusion)

This two step approach (ozonating only the part of the entire flow to a higher concentration and than mixing the high concentration of the ozonated liquid with the main body of the liquid to be treated), is far more economical than utilizing the single step inline ozonation where the entire body of the water (or other liquid to be ozonated) is ozonated. By requiring to ozonate only a portion of the flow to be treated, the size and capacity of the infrastructure (pumps needed to maintain the flow and pressure, injectors, pipes carrying liquid, etc.) is greatly reduced while still being able to treat the entire flow in general. The savings in the material are complimented by the savings in the real estate needed to install the ozone injection equipment (much smaller skids comparing to the similar capacity inline ozone injection skids).

The description offered in this article is a simplified description of the principle used to inject the ozone into the water or other liquids to be treated. The complete turn-key ozone injection skid has many more components than what has been explained in this article. Pumps, dissolved ozone monitoring probes, ORP meter, safety monitoring probes (to detect any accidental leak of ozone out of the skid, etc. can be further found inside the engineered turn-key ozone injection skid.

If you require additional information on the engineering and design of the turn-key ozone injection skid or need help sizing a unit please contact your Ozmotics representative at 1-877-386-3763.

Corona discharge ozone generators typically fall into the two categories ( based on the feed gas used to generate the ozone). While some require purified oxygen, others claim to be able to operate using an ambient air feed. What are the main differences between the two and which one is the right choice for you?

Oxygen Fed Ozone Generators:

Oxygen fed ozone generators typically require an additional component called the oxygen concentrator.

The ambient atmospheric air is composed of approximately 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.9% argon and the rest being the trace amounts of elements such as hydrogen, helium, etc. By removing the nitrogen from the air and feeding the pure oxygen (typically about 95% purity), the ozone generator is capable of producing more ozone using the same gas feed throughput compared  to ambient air fed generators.

Ambient Air Fed Ozone Generators:

The advantage of the ambient air fed ozone generators is that they are smaller, less complex and more portable. Because they do not need the oxygen concentrator as a major component, they are also cheaper to manufacture. But there are also several shortfalls of the ambient air fed ozone generator in addition to the efficiency. These include maintenance considerations and humidity.

Maintenance Considerations:

Since ambient air fed ozone generators intake air that is composed of 78% nitrogen, there is no way to stop the formation of the nitrogen oxide byproduct that will deposit on the surfaces inside the generators (corona plates, etc.). Therefore ambient fed ozone generators require much higher degrees of maintenance which in most cases involve fairly complex procedures such as tearing down your ozone generator to clean the corona plates.

While some people are OK with this shortfall, others prefer a more maintenance-free approach. Depending on how you feel about tearing down your ozone generator and re-assembling it, you may or may not want to look at purchasing the ambient air fed ozone generator.

There may also be some health hazards associated with the cleaning process of the nitrous oxides inside the ozone generators since the nitrous oxides are known to react with the water forming the highly corrosive nitric acid. Therefore the appropriate protective wear is highly recommended when servicing or cleaning the nitrogen oxide deposits inside your ozone generator.

Humidity:

Ambient air fed ozone generators must be fed with relatively dry air. The nitrous oxide dissolves in water to form nitric acid. Nitric acid (HNO3), also known as aqua fortis and spirit of nitre, is a highly corrosive and toxic strong acid that can cause severe burns (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitric_acid ). Therefore the humidity must be eliminated from the feed air before it enters the ozone generator.

The air dryer is usually incorporated into the oxygen concentrator design so in most cases you do not need to worry about having it if you are using the oxygen fed ozone generator.

Conclusion:

While air fed ozone generators are typically less expensive they require a lot more maintenance than the oxygen fed ozone generators. However because of the extra added oxygen concentrator unit, the oxygen fed ozone generators are typically larger, bulkier and more expensive to initially purchase.

Selecting the proper model and proper technology would require understanding the application where the ozone generator will be installed, inherent health risks associated with the technology as well as maintenance preferences of the end-user and operator that will be using the technology.

A proper research and planning is usually recommended before deciding which unit and what technology to select and purchase.