What happens to the effectiveness of chlorine disinfection in high turbidity water?

In high turbidity water, the effectiveness of chlorine disinfection decreases primarily due to the presence of suspended particles. These particles can shield microorganisms from direct exposure to chlorine, thereby limiting the disinfectant’s ability to penetrate and deactivate pathogens effectively. High turbidity can also lead to the formation of chlorinated by-products that may reduce the actual concentration of available chlorine for disinfection.

The turbidity can cause interference in the reaction between chlorine and pathogens, as the presence of organic and inorganic matter can either react with chlorine, neutralizing it, or provide a protective barrier for the microorganisms. This phenomenon highlights the importance of clarifying or filtering water to reduce turbidity before disinfection processes to ensure maximum disinfection efficacy.

In contrast, scenarios where the effectiveness is stated as increasing or remaining unaffected do not align with the established understanding of chlorine disinfection dynamics in water treatment. Additionally, the idea that chlorine could "poison" microbes more efficiently in high turbidity fails to account for the protective effects that particles can have, which ultimately compromises disinfection rates. Therefore, the correct understanding is that high turbidity in water adversely affects the disinfection capability of chlorine.