Global demand for water disinfection products is projected to increase 7.4
percent annually to $7.4 billion in 2012, according to a study by The Freedonia Group (www.freedoniagroup.com). Overall, the study predicts growth will be fastest in China, India and other developing countries, particularly those with large industrial sectors. Growth is expected to be substantial in nearly every region, although the underlying reasons for growth can vary widely.
The study, titled World Water Disinfection, shows the United States will register healthy growth due to upgrades of disinfection techniques in an otherwise mature market. This will be a continuation of a longstanding trend favoring better performing specialty chemicals at the expense of chlorine and other commodities. Municipal water treatment operators have begun to use chloramines and other chemicals that allow for reductions in disinfection byproducts. Additionally, the study says these same motivations are prompting greater adoption of UV and ozone disinfection, which are often used in tandem with chlorine or other chemicals.