Optimisation of Reactor Technology for Selective Oxidation of Toxic Organic Pollutants in Wastewater by Ozone

Abstract

Oxidation of toxic pollutants by ozone is often required as a process step preceding an anaerobic or aerobic treatment that is focused on the removal of the non-toxic organic pollutants from the wastewater. The costs of such a pretreatment step strongly depends on the amount of ozone required for the oxidation process and therefore on the selectivity of the ozone oxidation process. Factors governing this selectivity are reaction kinetics of the oxidation process of toxic and non-toxic pollutants with ozone, reactor type, ozone supply to the reactor, temperature, and mass transfer limitations. By means of a mathematical model the influence of these process parameters on the selectivity is calculated. The results can be used for an optimal design of the treatment process.