10/9/2018 Oxidation-reduction-speticity potential - Degremont®

degremont® water handbook

oxidation-reduction-speticity potential
Reading time: 5 minutes

Household wastewater that is sufficiently "fresh" will have an oxidation reduction potential of
approximately 100 mV which, for a pH in the region of 7, produces an rH of 17 to 21 (see
oxidation-reduction (/water-and-generalities/water-a-fundamental-element/water-s-
chemistry/oxidation-reduction)). A potential of less than + 40 mV (i.e. rH = 15 for a pH = 7) or a
negative potential will be characteristic of a reducing medium (septic water, putrid fermentation,
presence of reducing agents). A potential of more than 300 mV (i.e. rH = 24 for a pH = 7) is
indicative of an abnormal oxidising medium (large amounts of water entering the system: rain –
spurious water).

In the presence of SO42‑, the effluent’s septicity will result in the formation of sulphides (S2-) and
cause H2S, as well as corrosion, to be emitted to the network.

Figure 22 classifies water according to pH and rH.

https://www.suezwaterhandbook.com/water-and-generalities/what-water-should-we-treat-and-why/urban-effluent/oxidation-reduction-speticity-potential 1/3
10/9/2018 Oxidation-reduction-speticity potential - Degremont®

Figure 22. Oxidation-reduction potential – pH diagram for wastewater

It should be noted that 4 factors play an important part in sulphides production in a network:

temperature: below 15°C, it is rare to find values above 2-3 ppm S2-;
SO42- concentration in the water because most of the S2- is created through the action of sulphur
reducing bacteria;
pollution concentration: in fact, the higher the BOD, the faster anaerobiosis takes place providing
sulphur reducing bacteria with more "food";
water dwell time in the networks and, therefore, the length of these networks and flow velocity
through said networks.

https://www.suezwaterhandbook.com/water-and-generalities/what-water-should-we-treat-and-why/urban-effluent/oxidation-reduction-speticity-potential 2/3
10/9/2018 Oxidation-reduction-speticity potential - Degremont®

Thus, on the longer networks (dwell time > 12 h) and at temperatures of 20°C, we go from between
5 and 10 ppm S2- to between 20 and 30 ppm at temperatures of between 25 and 28 °C, and even
from 50 to 70 ppm in the case of prolonged transfers taking approximately 24 hours in hot countries
when water contains more than 300 ppm SO42-.

< estimated water pollution during rainfall night soil > (/water-and-generalities/what-
(/water-and-generalities/what-water-should- water-should-we-treat-and-why/urban-
we-treat-and-why/urban-effluent/estimated- effluent/night-soil)
water-pollution-during-rainfall)

(http://www.suez-environnement.com/) (http://www.suez-

environnement.com/)

SUEZ's degremont® water handbook offers to water treatment professionals, fundamental concepts of water treatment
processes and technologies as well as degremont® solutions applied to treatment line and adapted to each use of water.
Designed by field men for field men, this valuable tool is essential for site managers, environmental managers, quality
managers, maintenance managers, stakeholders in sustainable development, water agencies, documentation centers in
universities, consultants, local authority technical departments, water management companies, etc.

https://www.suezwaterhandbook.com/water-and-generalities/what-water-should-we-treat-and-why/urban-effluent/oxidation-reduction-speticity-potential 3/3