Monitoring copper level ensures water has been treated properly to prevent legionnaires’ diseases and is is still drinkable. (Source: CDC/Wikipedia/Metrohm)
Copper-silver ionization
Copper-silver ionization disperses positively charged copper and silver ions into the water system.
The ions bond electrostatically with negative sites on bacterial cell walls and denature proteins.
Over the long term, the presence of copper and silver ions destroy biofilms and slimes that can harbor Legionella, the bacteria responsible for Legionnaires’ disease (legionellosis).
Monitoring copper online
To control the copper release from the ionization the copper levels shall be measured continuously. Normally copper measurements are carried out from the water reservoir, which is located after the ionizers.
Monitoring copper level ensures that the supplied water has been treated properly to prevent legionnaires’ diseases but also it ensures that the water is still drinkable and does not contain too much copper either.
The ICON analyser from Metrohm Process Analytics is the perfect workhorse to monitor the copper levels. Normal measuring range in legionella control process for the copper is 0.013 – 5 ppm.
