One of the necessities of human beings has been water. Certainly there is no life without water. It has endless applications. Other than being used for domestic purposes, there have been various other uses of water including fountains and synchronized musical shows. The prime requirement while using water for any purpose is that it should be clean and pure. Obviously, no one likes the sight of contaminated water do they?
However there are times when water gets contaminated. It could be anything either the fish tank, aquarium, the air or water cooler or the nearby water source. This is the time when you should seriously start thinking over its purification process. However there are many options for cleaning procedures of water. As such one of the traditional methods of cleaning water is the bleaching powder process which has been in use since long.
Indeed it’s an acute method, but at the same time, it might take time for water purification process. Nevertheless bleaching process has wide range of applications in various water based industries. On the other hand there is also one better alternative which has been known for its ultimate water cleansing properties and that’s potassium permanganate which is similar to sodium hypochlorite.
This chemical compound is also known as Condy’s crystals after it was discovered by the chemist Henry Bollman Condy. He found this component was useful for disinfecting of water. Potassium permanganate has been known as an acute agent for water disinfection along with various other properties including removal of water hardness, iron and manganese. However there are some concerns regarding the use of potassium permanganate powder for water cleansing process.
Inflammable Source-
The chemical formation of this compound is KMnO4. Further this is an oxidizing agent. Hence it should not be placed near acids or fuels else there are high probabilities of fire, explosions or formation of poisonous gases. Hence utmost care should be taken while making use of this chemical agent. Additionally the chemical could last for a year if it is well stored in a clean and dry container.
Be Shielded-
While using this chemical solution the user should always put on a particle mask, to avoid irritation caused if the chemical is inhaled directly. Apart from that the powder also becomes a powerful dye when mixed with water. Hence, there are chances it could create permanent spots on clothes or on skin. Besides, it could also easily corrode any carpentry or other aspects of homes or of any other areas.
While Disinfecting Drinking Water-
This process could be achieved by adding the chemical to the water till it turns pink. This pinkish color in the water is the potassium permanganate. In addition until this pink formation is seen, one doesn’t need to add KMnO4 any further. The moment the color disappears there comes the indication of adding more solution in the water.
Point To Consider-
When this chemical agent is mixed with the water, then it makes water more corrosive. On the other hand, if the color content of water is dark pink, then it could leave stain marks on the container. However the water is fit and safe for drinking.
To summarize, there could be various reasons for water contamination, but potassium permanganate emerges to be the better option. However, optimum care should be taken while using this chemical agent.
Author’s Profile-
This post has been authored by Daniel who works for water treatment plant. Here he discusses about potassium permanganate powder for the cleansing purpose of water.