Question 1

What is the difference between an oxidising and a non-oxidising biocide for cooling water?

Accepted Answer

Oxidising biocides — chlorine, bromine, chlorine dioxide — kill microorganisms by chemically oxidising their cell membranes and internal proteins. They act rapidly, leave measurable residuals testable with ORP or DPD kits, and degrade quickly, reducing environmental discharge concerns. Their limitation is that at high pH (above 8.0) their efficacy drops sharply, and at elevated temperatures they can accelerate corrosion of copper alloys. Non-oxidising biocides — quaternary ammonium compounds, isothiazolinones, glutaraldehyde — penetrate biofilm more effectively, work across a wider pH range, and are not consumed by ammonia or organic contamination. In Oman's industrial cooling systems, a dual-biocide programme combining an oxidising biocide for bulk water control with a non-oxidising biocide for shock biofilm treatment gives the best protection. Global Chemicals LLC supplies both types and can design a compliant programme for PDO, OQ, and Oman LNG facilities.

Question 2

Is Legionella a risk in cooling towers in Oman, and how is it controlled?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Legionella bacteria thrive in warm water between 25°C and 45°C — temperatures found in virtually all Oman cooling tower basins during summer. Inadequately treated systems allow Legionella to colonise biofilm and amplify to infectious levels, posing a serious health risk to people downwind of cooling tower plumes. Oman's Ministry of Health requires periodic risk assessments for cooling towers in public buildings, hospitals, and hotels. Chemical control involves maintaining a free chlorine residual (or alternative oxidant) of 0.2–0.5 mg/L in the basin combined with regular non-oxidising biocide shock dosing to strip existing biofilm. Physical measures — eliminating dead-legs, maintaining blowdown cycles, fitting drift eliminators — complement chemical treatment. Global Chemicals LLC supplies WHO-compliant Legionella control chemicals and technical support for implementing Oman HSE-aligned water safety plans.

Biocide

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