Decomposition of Phenylphenol Isomers by UVC-Enhanced Ozonation Process

Abstract

ABSTRACTDecomposition of preservative agents via UVC irradiation combined with ozonation processes in heterogeneous gas–liquid system was studied. The objectives of the present research were phenylphenol isomers (ortho-, meta- and para-phenylphenol). The work was focused on examining the effect of various reaction parameters on degradation rate. Moreover, transformation products and toxicity of the reaction solutions were studied. It was observed that degradation of phenylphenol isomers in the aqueous solution under UVC radiation in the presence of ozone proceeds fast, and after 10 min of reaction, the removal efficiency was close to 100%. After 1 h of degradation in this system the decrease of total organic carbon was over than 80%. The main intermediates of phenylphenol isomers degradation were dihydroxybiphenyl isomers, dicarboxylic acids and isomers of 2,4-hexadienoic-6-oxo-6-phenyl acid or trihydroxybiphenyl. The degradation in O3/UVC system for 60 min slightly decreased the toxicity of ortho-phenylphenol and meta- phenylphenol reaction mixture, while in the case of para-phenylphenol an almost non-toxic solution was achieved.