Water, and more specifically drinking water for human consumption, is an increasingly necessary element at a global level. It would seem that nowadays, with all the technological and social progress, something as basic as drinking water should not be a problem, but it is. In fact, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recently issued an urgent call for action to accelerate progress in ensuring safe drinking water for everyone.
The WHO report presents data on the connections between water, health and social and economic development, and addresses different recommendations to accelerate the process of universal access to safe drinking water, such as financing, capacity building or innovation. This brings us to the next point, the different ways in which access to safe drinking water can be guaranteed or improved, especially in countries where a large part of the rural population does not have easy access to sufficient infrastructure, among other drawbacks.
In some countries, such as Nigeria or Côte d’Ivoire, the problem is often not access to a water source per se, but the fact that these water resources have high levels of contamination, posing a health risk. According to the WHO, at least 2 billion people in the world use a contaminated drinking water source. Thus, one of the main challenges in many countries is the treatment of water to make it drinkable.
One of the most economical and efficient ways to make water drinkable is to treat it with sodium hypochlorite, thanks to its high disinfectant power and its ability to kill bacteria, fungi and other pathogenic micro-elements. However, a large part of the world’s population does not have access to local production of sodium hypochlorite, but imports it, with the resulting restrictions and risks.
Sodium hypochlorite, a growing market
According to some studies, this market is expected to grow at a Compounded Annual Rate of Growth (CARG) of 4.7% for the period 2021-2030. Increasing global population and improving consumer lifestyle and hygiene habits are the two main factors contributing to the growth of the sodium hypochlorite market, which have been further boosted by the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
According to 2020 data, the main application of sodium hypochlorite is water treatment, with more than half of the production destined for this use. It is usually an institutional or governmental use, for water disinfection in places such as schools, residential units, offices, public parks, shopping centres, swimming pools and bathing areas, to give a few examples.
The second most widespread application is in the paper industry, followed by the textile industry and medical applications.
Urbanisation and industrialisation in emerging nations such as China and India is also resulting in increased demand for sodium hypochlorite for the chemical wastewater treatment industry. In Africa, growing industrialisation and increasing manufacturing industry also contribute to this demand.
In summary, there are a number of factors globally that favour the growth of the sodium hypochlorite market. People are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of a healthy and wholesome lifestyle, which translates, among other things, into demand for access to safe drinking water, and increased consumption of products for personal hygiene and the cleaning and disinfection of spaces. At the industrial level, there is also increasing demand from industries that need sodium hypochlorite as a component in their products – such as detergents or cleaning and disinfection products – and demand for wastewater treatment, thanks in part to increased awareness of the environmental impact of discharging contaminated water.
As well as being a highly effective disinfectant, sodium hypochlorite is also used as a steriliser, oxidiser, bleaching agent and germicide, so its applications are wide-ranging.
The only drawback, which many companies and public and governmental entities are facing, is that there is not always a regular and sufficient supply of sodium hypochlorite to meet the demand of the different sectors, as it is a chemical product subject to transport and import restrictions due to its risks.
One of the most widely adopted solutions, both at governmental and industrial level, is the implementation of electrolysis plants that produce sodium hypochlorite to supply local demand, a system that is more economical in the medium and long term.
