Organic micropollutants degradation in ozone-loaded system with perfluorinated solvent

In order to provide higher ozonation process efficiency, new methods of advanced oxidation have been investigated. One of them is two-phase ozonation, sometimes called as ozone-loaded system. In this study, the solubility and stability of ozone in Fluorinet FC40 as well as the influence of pH and contact time on diffusion rate of oxidant from saturated FC40 phase to water was examined. The main purpose of this paper is to compare the removal efficiency of organic compounds with different distribution coefficient (K(D)) in conventional and ozone-loaded systems as well as to reveal the mechanism of the process. It is shown that organic micropollutants with high K(D) diffuse into FC40 where degradation reaction takes place. In a case of compounds with high polarity the perfluorinated phase works as ozone reservoir. The results indicated that oxidant is gradually released from FC40 into the water. In consequence, the oxidation reaction occurs in water, not in perfluorinated phase as it has been so far presumed.