In drip irrigation systems the more important scaling agents are organic compounds, organo-minerals from eutrophicated water bodies and iron from groundwater. To mitigate the clogging there are maintenance programs for irrigation systems, consisting of regular washings in the field with acid and hypochlorite, bench or test line’s dosing of acids or detergents. In addition there are other treatments such as oxygenation of the water and precipitation of iron, acidification of nutrient solutions, and for the specific case of organo-mineral compounds, sodium hypochlorite or calcium at a maximum concentration of 1 ppm in all the emitters controlled daily.
The use of chlorine generates compounds such as chloramines and trihalomethanes that may affect beneficial populations of microorganisms for the soil and contaminate surface waters. They are strong oxidizing agents that should be treated with protection systems for the staff to avoid accidents during the process. There are other products that may be an alternative to hypochlorite and have advantages because they are organic and biodegradable with lower handling risks. . Non-active biocatalysts, such as OrTec, can be an alternative to using hypochlorite.
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