Abstract
Bromine chemistry is used to great advantage in nature for fouling control by a number of sessile marine organisms such as sponges, seaweeds, and bryozoans. Such organisms produce small quantities of brominated organic compounds that effectively help keep their surfaces clean of problem bacteria, fungi, and algae. For over two decades, bromine chemistry has been used to similar advantage in the treatment of industrial water systems. The past several years in particular has seen the development of several diverse bromine product forms – one-drum stabilized bromine liquids, all-bromine hydantoin solids, and pumpable gels. The purpose of this paper is to review the development of bromine chemistry in industrial water treatment, discuss characteristics of the new product forms, and speculate on future developments.