Comparative Efficiency Of Three Systems (O3, O3/H2O2, and O3/TiO2) For The Oxidation Of Natural Organic Matter In Water

CATAZONE is a new process of heterogeneous catalytic ozonation in which water is ozonated in the presence of a solid catalyst composed of titanium dioxide. The efficiency of this O₃/TiO₂ system has been compared to the two well-known oxidant systems: ozone alone and ozone combined with hydrogen peroxide.

This comparison was undertaken on three models of natural organic compounds : an aquatic fulvic acid, a protein and a disaccharide. The first results showed the following order of relative efficiency: O₃/TiO₂ > O₃/H₂O₂ > O₃ as far as Total Organic Carbon (TOC) removal was concerned.     

Hydroxyl Radical Oxidation Processes For The Removal Of Triazine From Natural Water

The purpose of this study was to point out processes that can provide triazine oxidation via hydroxyl radical production in a water treatment line. We focus our attention on:

- oxido-flocculation, using Fe²⁺, H₂O₂

- inter-oxidation, using O₃, H₂O₂ and eventually an heterogeneous catalyst.

- disinfection, using UV, O₃ and H₂O₂ combinations.

Results show that triazines can be removed by all these processes with different efficiencies. At full scale, the O₃/H₂O₂ process presents the best performances from an economical and technical point of view.     

Application of Oxidation by a Combined Ozone/Ultraviolet Radiation System to the Treatment of Natural Water

When treating natural water, the simultaneous use of ozone and UV rays can lead to high level oxidation of the ozone–refractory organics. The main parameters affecting the efficiency of the O₃/UV system are: the ozonation rate, the average UV radiation intensity, the pH measurement, alkalinity, and the type of compound to be oxidized.

In optimum Ou/UV system application conditions, the abatement of COD in water from the Seine river is never above 30%. On the other hand, TOC removal is increased in weakly carbonated pond water loaded with humic matter. The O₃/UV system also ensures oxidation of saturated volatile organic halogens, with the exception of carbon tetrachloride.     

Ultraviolet-Enhanced Ozonation of Organic Compounds: 1,2-Dichloroethane and Trichloroethylene as Model Substrates

1,2–Dichloroethane (DCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE) were used as model compounds to study the oxidation of organic chemicals by ozone/ultraviolet radiation, ozone, and hydrogen peroxide/ultraviolet radiation. It was found that ozone/ultraviolet radiation oxidized both 1,2–dichloroethane and trichloroethylene in batch systems, at pH = 2 (phosphate buffer). At ozone concentrations in the 1 to 5 mg/L range, the reaction was first order in both ozone and substrate. At pH = 2 and initial ozone concentration 2.2–2.6 mg/L, rate constants (k)Q = 25 and 130 M^-1sec^-1 were observed for the ozone/ultraviolet radiation oxidation of DCE and TCE, respectively. The rat e constants for ozone oxidation of DCE and TCE without ultraviolet radiation were 4.3 and 47 M^-1sec^-1, respectively.

The higher rate of TCE oxidation implies that direct reaction occurs with the double bond. Finite reaction rate of DCE with ozone, and substantial increases in rate at higher pH imply the participatation of hydroxyl radicals in the oxidation of both compounds. For example, at pH = 7, initial ozone concentration of 2.3 mg/L, the k_o for TCE oxidation by ozone/ultraviolet radiation is approximately 500 M^?1 sec^?1 almost too fast to measure in a batch system.The rate also is increased by increased ultraviolet radiation intensity, and by the presence of hydrogen peroxide, which acts as a catalyst.     

Use Of Static Mixer For Oxidation And Disinfection By Ozone

Ozone is used in drinking water treatment as a biocide, as an oxidant and as a pretreatment in order to improve the performance of subsequent processes. Increasing concern over the quality of drinking water has led to a number of new stringent regulations in the control of chemical and microbiological contaminants. Disinfection deals with the concept of “CT”, which is the need to maintain a certain minimum concentration for a given time. Under ideal laboratory conditions, it is 0.4 mg O₃/L for 4 min. In practice, since the method for the CT determination has not been finalized by the EPA, “T” can be the minimum detention time of 90% of total flow, and “C” can be a measured ozone residual at the outlet of cells of the contactor. New standards for micropollutants in drinking water imply an optimization of the ozonation step, by improving the ozone transfer from gas to water, and the control of the detention time as well as ozone residual within the contactor.

All these considerations have led us to use static mixers to transfer ozone into water. This process enables us to control the ozone concentration in water and detention time. It is a very simple system, with very low maintenance requirements due to the lack of moving parts. Civil engineering is minimized. A pilot scale study is presented here. It took place at the Méry-sur-Oise water treatment plant, on a pilot plant working at 8-12 m³/h. It is composed of a static mixer for the transfer of ozone from gas to liquid, linked to an air lift to separate gas from liquid, providing ozonated water.

The optimization of transfer was achieved by studying the impact of water flow, gas flow and ozone concentration in the gas. It is possible to reach 90% of transfer in less than 15 s. Headloss (ΔP) across the mixer is a function of gas and water flows and remains economically very acceptable as 0.15 bar for 12 m³/h.

Atrazine removal was studied using a static mixer, an air lift and a contact pipe 80-m long, providing an optimum contact time phase, working as a plug flow reactor. Ozone and H₂O₂/O₃ treatments were compared. The maximum reduction of atrazine concentrations (e.g., for an infinite contact time) is a function of the amount of transferred ozone, but H₂O₂ influences the kinetics of the reaction. In the presence of H₂O₂ with a ratio of H₂O₂ to O₃ of 0.4 w/w, maximum elimination is reached in 2 min 30 s.

The effect of such treatments on environmental bacteria also was followed. A counting of total germs at 20°C showed a decrease of 1- to 3-logs 10 after 1 min 30 s of contact time for about 2 mg/L of transferred ozone. No significant difference between treatments with or without H₂O₂ was shown. The same conclusions were obtained from heterotrophic plate counts (37°C) and epifluorescence countings.     

Oxidation of 1,3,5‐trichlorobenzene using advanced oxidation processes

The oxidation of 1,3,5‐trichlorobenzene (TCB) by ozone, ozone/UV, ozone/H₂O₂ and ozone/UV/H₂O₂ was studied. All studies were conducted in a continuously‐flowing completely mixed reactor (CFCMR), operated at steady‐state conditions using a hydraulic retention time of 10 minutes. The greatest removal of TCB using ozone/H₂O₂ treatment was achieved using a H₂O₂ concentration of 60 μM. At low pH values (approx. 2) ozone/UV performed significantly better than either ozone alone or ozone/H₂O₂. However, at circumneutral pH, the removal efficiencies of TCB by ozone/UV and ozone/H₂O₂ and ozone/UV/H₂O₂ were essentially equal (～ 97% for TCB). The removal efficiency of ozone alone was ～93% for TCB. At high pH (> 9) there was no advantage in supplementing ozone with either UV or H₂O₂ as the removal efficiencies for all processes studied were essentially equal.

The effect of humic acid and bicarbonate on the removal of TCB was studied. At 1.6 mg/L humic acid, 92–95% of the TCB was oxidized by the processes studied. The removal of TCB by ozone alone was significantly affected by the presence of bicarbonate ion. For the other processes at 10 mM bicarbonate, approximately 80% of the TCB was oxidized.     

Degradation of Pesticides by Ozonation and Advanced Oxidation

In the Netherlands many water supply companies are upgrading their surface water treatment plants in order to guarantee the water supply and water quality in the coming years. The Water Supply Company North West Brabant (WNWB) has plans to upgrade their treatment plant at Zevenbergen. In the retrofit plant chlorination will be abandoned and probably ozonation will be the major barrier against microorganisms. Pesticide concentrations will be decreased by three barriers: storage, ozonation and activated carbon filtration.

If the ozone dosage is restricted just to reach the required disinfection level at pH 7.2, ozonation is a poor barrier against pesticides. Out of 23 selected pesticides, only 6 were effectively degraded: dimethoate, chlortoluron, diuron, isoproturon, metoxuron and vinclozolin (O₃/DOC = 0.55 g/g). Application of an (O₃/DOC ratio of 1.0 g/g results in an effective barrier for roughly 50% of the tested pesticides (also for diazinon, parathion-methyl, linuron, methabenzthiazuron, metobromuron, MCPA and MCPP). Pesticides were degraded more effectively at high pH and high temperature.

For additional degradation of high concentrations of persistent pesticides, advanced oxidation may be applied. Atrazine, propazine, simazine, chlor-fenvinphos, tetrachlorvinphos, 2,4-D, 2,4-DP and 2,4,5-T were degraded by O₃/DOC = 1.4 g/g and H₂O₂/O₃ = 0.5 g/g. Dicamba and dikegulac were most persistent. pH has a minor effect on the degradation of pesticides by advanced oxidation. Higher hydrogen peroxide dosages showed no improvement in degradation. After ozonation and advanced oxidation, about 50% of totally reacted atrazine and propazine was converted into desethylatrazine. No desisopropylatrazine formation was observed.     

UV-induced Decomposition of Ozone and Hydrogen Peroxide in the Aqueous Phase at pH 2–7

The photolysis of ozone and formation of hydrogen peroxide were investigated in solution of pH 2–7, in a 200 cm³ photoreactor in the incident photon flow range 9.6 x 10^?8 - 4.2 x 10^?7 einstein s^?1. The quantum yield of the primary photochemical reactions was measured in a direct way by suppressing the secondary radical reactions. The determined quantum yields of the photo-decompositions of ozone and hydrogen peroxide were 0.42 ± 0.042 ± 0.04 and 0.49 ± 0.04, respectively.

A correct mathematical treatment is given for calculation of the light absorption of the individual components of a multi-absorbent reaction mixture.

On the basis of the literature data and die present results, a probable chemical and reaction kinetic model was proposed to characterize the investigated reaction systems. Reaction kinetic simulations demonstrated that the model predicts a good fit to the measured data with the preferred literature rate constants, except that for the HO₃ radical decomposition reaction. A reasonable reduction of this rate coefficient value is in accordance with the latest published results.     

Effect of Preozonation on Flux and Water Quality in Ozonation-Ultrafiltration Hybrid System for Water Treatment

The effect of ozonation on membrane flux and water quality was investigated in an ozonation ultrafiltration (UF) hybrid system. Crossflow UF was performed in total recycle mode to study the effect of ozonation on membrane fouling and disinfection by-product formation potentials of organics. Total organic carbon (TOC), UV absorbance at 254 ran (UV254) and trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP) were measured as water quality parameters.

The effect of ozonation on membrane flux was found to be largely dependent on raw water quality as well as ozone dose. In case of upstream water (A), preozonation achieved significant flux enhancement regardless of ozone dose. Whereas, for the downstream water (B), the steady state flux was increased or decreased depending on ozone dose.

The analysis based on the resistance-in-series model provided the mechanistic interpretation on the membrane flux variation. Ozonation in an ozone-ultrafiltration system always brought about a decrease in cake resistance (R_c) and an increase in fouling resistance (Rf). Based on the measurement of particle size distribution and zeta potential, the reduction in cake resistance through ozonation was attributed to an increase in particle size due to “ozone-induced particle destabilization”. However, the increase in the fouling resistance seems to be caused partly by the microbial characteristics of raw water.

Although there was little effect on TOC, ozone-UF treatment could get much higher removal of UV 254, THMFP (lday) and THMPF/TOC ratio than UF treatment alone.     

Effects of Atmospheric Chemical and Climate Change on Tropospheric Ozone

Changes in atmospheric levels of certain pollutants (CH₄, CO, NO_X, nonmethane hydrocarbons) have the potential to affect tropospheric O₃ formation and the abundance of the free radical OH on a global scale. Perturbations to stratospheric O₃ and climate (temperature and moisture) also can influence tropospheric O3 and OH. We have used a tropospheric photochemical model with projections of CO, NO_X, and CH₄ to predict tropospheric ozone and OH changes from 1980-2030. The calculations simulate the background chemistry of various global regions and assume that increases in CH₄ and CO will continue at current rates. Predicted changes in tropospheric O₃ and OH are different in urban and nonurban areas, and in marine and continental regions.

Generally, increasing levels of CH₄ and CO at constant NO_X levels will increase O₃ and suppress OH. A rough estimate of possible global changes shows tropospheric O3 increasing ?10% from 1980 to 2030 and OH decreasing ?10% during that period. When calculations are performed assuming that stratospheric ozone depletion and climate warming occur at anticipated rates during the same period, tropospheric O₃ enhancement and OH loss in nonurban areas are both reduced relative to changes assuming that only CH₄ and CO emissions change.

Regional changes in surface-level O₃, OH and the water-soluble oxidant H₂O₂ are estimated for the year 2030. Increases in CO and CH₄ suppress OH and enhance O₃ and H₂O₂ in nonpolluted (low NO_X) areas. In urban environments (background NO_X > 1 ppbv), increases in CO and CH₄ add significantly to all three oxidants, O₃, OH and H₂O₂. Changes in and near urban areas may be of greatest magnitude, but the high levels of OH (and H₂O₂) found in the tropics indicate that perturbations in that region could dominate future global oxidant changes.     

The Effect Of Preozonation,Ozone/Hydrogen Peroxide Treatment,And Nanofiltration On The Removal Of Organic Matter From Drinking Water

Pilot scale experiments were performed to evaluate the ability of ozonation, ozone/hydrogen peroxide treatment and nanofiltration to reduce levels of organic matter, mutagenicity, total adsorbable halogens, color and turbidity from purified and bank-filtered surface water rich with humic material.

Ozonation and ozone/hydrogen peroxide decreased the amount of organic material from drinking water by about 20 percent measured as TOC and COD_Mn. Color and turbidity level reductions were 49 and 11 percent, respectively. Ozonation reduced the AOX concentrations formed during postchlorination from 150 μgL^?1 to 75 μgL^?1. The addition of hydrogen peroxide further improved the removal to 37 and 26 μgL^?1 depending on the ratio of H₂O₂/O₃. The mutagenicity reduction followed the same pattern: without ozonation the chlorination-derived mutagenicity was 1,450 net revertant L^?1 after the ozonation 700 and after the H₂O₂/O₃ treatment from <100 to 400 net revertant L^?1 depending on the H₂O₂/O₃ ratio. Nanofiltration appeared to be the most effective way to remove organic material. The removal of TOC was 68%, COD_M 72%, color 90%, turbidity 68%, AOX 88%, and mutagenicity 85%.     

Removal Of Pesticides By Use Of Ozone Or Hydrogen Peroxide/Ozone

This article deals with the efficiency of an ozonation step in drinking water treatment plants remove pesticides. These tests are carried out with a laboratory technique, the “OZOTEST” method, which simulates operating conditions on site and allows a complete oxidation assessment.

Efficiency of the two oxidant systems – ozone and ozone coupled with hydrogen peroxide – is evaluated for 11 pesticides commonly analyzed in control laboratories. Comparison of the two systems is made in terms of pesticide removal, but also in terms of ozone consumption. Matrix effects and contact time are also taken into account, and an order of reactivity for each system considered is suggested.     

Influence of Ozone on the Photocatalytic Oxidation of Organic Compounds

Heterogeneous photocatalytic oxidation processes using titanium oxide as a photocatalyst are widely discussed topics in research for water and waste water treatment. Oxygen fed into the systems is normally used as oxidizing agent. However few investigations exist concerning the use of ozone as an additional oxidant. In this work the influence of ozone on the photocatalytic degradation of organic compounds are described. The results are compared with those by using ozone, UV/O₃ and UV/TiO₂/O₂. The oxidation reactions were performed at pH 3 and 7.

In this research compounds of the different classes were used: glyoxal, pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid, p-toluenesulfonic acid and naphthalene-1,5-disulfonic acid. Depending on the classes of compounds in some cases the elimination rates of the initial compounds is enhanced by using UV/TiO₂/O₃ compared to UV/O₃ or O₃ alone. But in all cases greatest DOC elimination is achieved by using UV/TiO₂/O₃.     

The Basic Clinical Applications of Ozone Therapy

Medical ozone is a mixture of ozone and oxygen, prepared via silent electrical discharge, within a concentration range of 0.05 volume % O₃ to max. 5.0 volume % O₃.

In order to exclude its toxic effect on the pulmonary epithelium, the medical ozone/oxygen mixture is administered so that exposure of the respiratory tract is avoided at all times, i.e., without the disturbing effects of its odor.     

The Treatment of Spa Water with Ozone Produced by UV Light

Some North American manufacturers are selling devices which produce ozone from UV radiation, which is pumped or sucked into spas, presumably to disinfect the water, without having to use chlorine. To test this claim, a private spa used by two people at least once a day was equipped with a UV radiation unit and an ozone (generating by UV) unit. Bacterial analyses were conducted during experiments carried out using chlorine alone, ozone generated by UV radiation, unit and an ozone (generating by UV) unit. Bacterial analyses were conducted during experiments carried out using chlorine alone, ozone generaed by UV radiation, and ozoen in combination with UV radiation.

Heterotrophic plate counts, and counts of Staphyiococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were lowest when using chlorine, next lowest when using ozone #x002B; UV radiation, and highest when using UV-generated ozone. It is concluded that insufficient dissolved ozone is present for a sufficient reaction time to effect disinfection of these organisms by ozone generated by UV radiation. The fact that the odor of ozone was present above the spa water indicates that contacting also was inefficient.     

Optimization Of Ozone Plants For Water Works In Switzerland

The disadvantage that chlorine as processing agent in the treatment of surface waters can lead to undesirable production of chlorinated hydrocarbon products, provided the impulse to involvement in alternate means of oxidation. This inevitably led the way to the means of oxidation used the most intensively in water treatment - ozone.

Extensive development work has been performed to optimize the dosage of ozone for water treatment. Potential users are kept informed on this technology through published data. Theory, however, is only one side of the problem, practical application quite another. Here technicians and engineers have been required to integrate oxidation and disinfection with ozone, into the technology for water treatment and to make this economic.

In Switzerland since the 1950s, more than 40 waterworks have been converted to ozone. The development and the experience that has been collected since the introduction of this technique is the subject of this paper, primarily in regard to cost development and cost economy through innovative engineering services for development, engineering and project execution.     

Removal of Aromatic Nitro Compounds from Water by Ozonation

Experimental studies were carried out on the removal of five species of aromatic nitro hydrocarbons by ozonation. Ultraviolet spectrograms with distinct absorption peaks were plotted for each of them. It has been found that the absorbances of aqueous solutions containing the single compounds mentioned above increase to different extents at the wave lengths ranging from 200 to 230 nanometers with increase of ozone dosages. This is ascribed to the nitrite ions splitting out of the benzene rings and being further oxidized to nitrate ions by ozonation.

It has been indicated that the removal of the five species of aromatic nitro compounds by ozonation can well be expressed mathematically by first order reaction equations. Besides, the reaction constants and half-life periods for various species of the tested nitro compounds were calculated at different temperatures and pH.

An ozonation effect index (OI) was developed in the study to express the degree of degradation of substrates by ozonation, by means of which the five aromatic nitro hydrocarbons were compared with each other and finally ranked in the following order from greatest to smallest degrees of degradation:

p-nitroaniline > nitrobenzene > p-dinitrobenzene > p-nitrotoluene > m-dinitrobenzene

It has also found that the CODm/M ratio increases with ozone doses. This means that some easily degradable intermediates are produced, and increase in concentration with increase of ozone dose in the ozonation process.

The mechanisms of removing the five aromatic nitro hydrocarbons are discussed from the viewpoint of orienting effects of substituent groups on the aromatic rings.     

Modelisation Of Micropollutant Removal In Drinking Water Treatment By Ozonation Or Advanced Oxidation Processes (O3/H2O2)

A simulation program is described, tested and used, to predict micropollutant removal in an ozonation bubble tower with or without hydrogen peroxide addition. To compute the removal efficiency, we need to know the chemical reactivity between organic compounds and oxidant species (molecular ozone and hydroxyl radicals), the ozone mass transfer from the gaseous phase to the liquid phase (k_La) and the hydrodynamic model describing the reactor. In this case, we divide the reactor into three parts (water arrival, air arrival and intermediate zones). Each part is modelled using completely stirred tank reactors in series (CSTR).

In each CSTR, the calculation of oxidant concentrations (O₃, H₂O₂) is made through mass balance equations and a semi-empirical formula which gives hydroxyl radical concentrations as a function both of ozone concentration and the main characteristics of the water to be treated (pH, TOC, alkalinity). Another semi-empirical formula links ozone consumption to the same characteristics.     

First Year Operation Report of the Corona Discharge Ozone Swimming Pool Water Treatment Systems at the Peck Aquatic Facility,Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The two corona discharge ozone swimming pool water treatment systems installed in the Peck Aquatic Center in Milwaukee, WI now have been in continuous operation since September, 1987. The two pools are part of the Karl Jewish Campus Facility of the Harold and Judy Sampson Campus of the Milwaukee Jewish Community Center.

The operation of these water treatment systems has shown that safe and high quality pool water is obtained reliably and economically. One pool (Main Pool) is of Olympic size, the other (Learner pool) is designed especially for use by children. Both pools utilize a full corona discharge ozone water treatment system. They were the first ozone systems in the U.S. to be built for public pools using the process of ozonation, flocculation, filtration, ozone removal and residual chlorination.

An extensive testing program was initiated in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Health. The bacteriological water quality from these swimming pools was in compliance with Wisconsin State Health Regulations and the German DIN Standard 19,643.

The first year of operation of the Peck Aquatic Center has shown that the corona discharge ozone pool water treatment process can:

1) Operate reliably in a public swimming pool environment without the need for highly or special operator qualifications.

2) Produce continuously bacteria- and virus-free pool water without the harmful and unpleasant effects of chlorine.

3) Creates a user constituency group praising and promoting the use of “minimal chlorine swimming” in the community.     

Iron and Manganese Removal with Ozonation in the Presence of Humic Substances

The conditions for the removal of iron and manganese contained in slightly mineralized water, rich in humic substances, were determined in a case where an intermediate oxidation was provided in a conventional potabilization line comprising a coagulationflocculation stage with iron salts.

The experiments were conducted both on a synthetic water, with or without addition of humic substances, and on raw water from the Moulin-Papon dam. While iron was easily removed by simply increasing the pH measurement from 8.2 to 8.5 without intermediate oxidation, ozonation applied to water with a pH of nearly 8.4 did not enable the manganese to be removed with a low ozone dose (about 1 mg/L) unless a significant amount of bicarbonates (120 to 130 mg/L as CaCO₃) were injected prior to the ozonation-filtration stage.

As it removes the manganese from the water, intermediate ozonation also removes the abatement of organics on the filters, and lowers the THM buildup potential.