I blame all those clever marketing ads that show UV lamps glowing inside clear tubes, promising “pure, fresh water.” They don’t exactly scream, “Hey, this won’t touch your chlorine!” Rude. The truth is, UV targets microorganisms—like E. coli or giardia—by messing up their DNA. Chlorine, on the other hand, is a stable molecule that laughs in the face of ultraviolet light.
Think of it this way: UV is like a bouncer at a club who only kicks out rowdy bacteria. Chlorine is just the background music—annoying, maybe, but the bouncer doesn’t touch the speakers. You’d need a different tool—like a carbon filter or reverse osmosis—to pull that chlorine out.
So what actually happens to chlorine under UV?
Here’s the kicker: nothing. Not a single chlorine molecule gets destroyed, removed, or even mildly offended. Some fancy UV systems use a process called photocatalytic oxidation (boring science alert!) where UV reacts with a catalyst to break down chemicals, but that’s a whole different beast. Your standard home UV purifier? It’s just a bright light in a tube.
I learned this the hard way when I tested my water after UV treatment. Still tasted like a swimming pool’s leftovers. My wife gave me that “I told you so” look—you know the one, very specific and slightly smug.
Reducing chlorine and chloramines in industrial water | Trojan Technologies
