Effect of O3 Dose on the O3/UV Treatment Process for the Removal of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in Secondary Effluent

Abstract

A municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is a melting pot of numerous pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) together with many other substances. The removal of PPCPs using advanced oxidation processes within a WWTP is one way to reduce the amount of PPCPs that potentially enter an aquatic environment. The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the ozone (O3)/UV treatment process, especially, the effects of O3 dose and reaction time, on the removal of PPCPs in the secondary effluent of a WWTP. Experiments were conducted using a pilot-scale treatment process that consisted of two flow-through reactors connected in series. Each reactor was equipped with three 65 W lamps (UV65W). The experimental variables were ozone dosage (1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 mg L−1) and hydraulic retention time (HRT; 5 and 10 min). On the basis of the PPCP concentrations after O3/UV65W treatment and their limit of detection (LOD), 38 PPCPs detected in the secondary effluent were classified into 5 groups ranging from the category of “sensitive” to O3/UV65W or “unstable” in the O3/UV65W process to the category of “insensitive” to O3/UV65W or “very stable” in the O3/UV65W process.

Application Progress of O3/UV Advanced Oxidation Technology in the Treatment of Organic Pollutants in Water

“…Paucar N.E. et al [44] treated personal care products (PPCPs) with the O 3 /UV process. The results showed that when the treatment time was 10 min and the O 3 concentration was 6 mg/L, among the 38 PPCPs detected in secondary sewage, 31 degraded to or below its detection limit.…”

Photo- and Electrochemical Water Treatment

“…Additionally, the combination of UV and ozone inhibits the production of bromate. 33 The UV/O 3 degrades most of the organic contaminant such as amoxicillin, azithromycin, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim. 32,33 However, due to the high energy requirement for the production of both ozone and UV light, the economic viability of this oxidation process is limited.…”

“…33 The UV/O 3 degrades most of the organic contaminant such as amoxicillin, azithromycin, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim. 32,33 However, due to the high energy requirement for the production of both ozone and UV light, the economic viability of this oxidation process is limited. that can lead to the production of ( OH) radicals that have been studied.…”

Technology Advances in Phenol Removals: Current Progress and Future Perspectives

“…Hence, the O 3 /UV process can increase the formation of hydroxyl radicals and then reduce organic pollutants. Although O 3 /UV treatment is a promising technology, further comprehensive understanding is needed especially in the reaction kinetics, decomposition pathways, by-products generation, and the toxicity of wastewater treated by the O 3 /UV process [106].…”