Ozonolysis Of Humic Acid And Its Effect On Decoloration And Biodegradability

The objectives of this research were to investigate the reactivity of humic acid (HA) with ozone and to evaluate its effect on decoloration and biodegradability. Reagent HA was selected as a target compound, and the change in overall water quality parameters, molecular weight distribution, color and biodegradability during ozonation were investigated. Partial oxidation such as decoloration was observed, though the complete destruction represented by TOC removal was not significant. The rate of ozone usage decreased as the reaction proceeded. Degradation to the lower molecular weight fragments was confirmed by ultrafiltration. The close relationship between color and fragmentation was verified. Decoloration was represented by a pseudo-first order reaction. Formic, acetic, oxalic and glyoxylic acids were identified by HPLC and ion chromatography as typical low molecular weight organic acids. The biodegradability of ozonated HA solutions, represented in terms of the ratio of BOD₅ to TOC, was improved.