Re: [compost_tea] chlorine question...

From: <soilfoodweb_at_aol.com>
Date: Mon, 03 May 2004 11:38:37 -0400

Free chlorine is the component that harms the organisms directly, because it complexes with cell membranes and shuts down energy production and respiration.  Talk about drowning in your own wastes, that is what chlorine does to cells - prevents wastes from being able to escape the cell, so the organism dies. 

Total chlorine includes the free chlorine, but also the chlorine complexed with, or bound to, organic matter or other cations (positively charged ions).  So, free chlorine plus bound chlorine equals total chlorine. 

There is an equilibrium between free chlorine, and bound chlorine.  As water is de-gassed, the free chlorine is lost as a gas.  The bound chlorine that is not tightly bound will leave the surface it is bound to, and become free chlorine in solution.  You have to then de-gas that as well. 

It's why you have to aerate water for so long, sometimes, in order to get rid of the smell of chlorine.  If you have significant amounts of bound chlorine, you may have to aerate for hours to get rid of the chlorine moving off the surfaces and into solution. 

The less organic matter and particulates in your water, the less bound chlorine you will have, and the faster you can get rid of your chlorine smell.  If it takes a long time to get rid of the chlorine smell, it tells you something about the level of "stuff" in your water.  May not be able to see the stuff, but it's there, if you have to de-gas for a lo-o-o-ong time.  

Hum, water quality issues. 

Hope this helps!

Elaine Ingham
President, Soil Foodweb Inc.
SFI Corvallis, OR
SFI Port Jefferson, NY
SFI Lismore, NSW, Australia
SFI Hilversum, The Netherlands
SFI Cambridge, New Zealand
SFI Culiacan, Mexico
SFI Jerome, Idaho
http://www.soilfoodweb.com

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Received on Mon May 03 2004 - 15:06:35 EDT

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