What is the process of exposing water to the oxygen of the atmosphere to neutralize taste, odor, and dissolved oxygen?

The correct choice is the process of aeration. In the context of water treatment, aeration involves exposing water to air, allowing oxygen from the atmosphere to mix with the water. This process serves multiple purposes.

First, aeration helps to enhance water quality by neutralizing undesirable tastes and odors, which can be caused by dissolved gases or organic materials in the water. When the water comes into contact with air, volatile compounds responsible for these unpleasant attributes are driven off.

Additionally, aeration can help to increase the levels of dissolved oxygen within the water, which is crucial for the survival of aquatic life and for maintaining a healthy ecosystem. The introduction of oxygen through aeration can also assist in the breakdown of certain pollutants and promote beneficial biological processes, contributing to the overall treatment of the water.

While filtration, screening, and sedimentation are important processes in water treatment, they serve different functions. Filtration removes solid particles, screening captures larger debris, and sedimentation allows solids to settle out of the water, but none of these processes specifically involve the exposure of water to atmospheric oxygen in the way that aeration does.