Ozone Strong Water Dosing as Optimized Ozonation Process for Micropollutants Reduction in Wastewater Treatment Plants

Abstract

ABSTRACT Growing concern over potential ecotoxicological problems caused by micropollutants (MPs) in water has led to the application of adsorptive and oxidative advanced treatment technologies at European wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Direct dosage of gaseous ozone via diffusers or pump-injection systems is the most common large-scale process applied in water and wastewater treatment. Studies point out that MP removal may take place via the direct, very selective reaction with the ozone molecule as well as the indirect reaction with the very reactive but nonselective hydroxyl radicals. Several process parameters and set-ups may affect the MPs elimination and inhibit or even cause the formation of transformation products (TPs) such as bromate. This work compares an alternative ozone application procedure (the so-called ‘ozone strong water’ dosing – OSW) with standard systems regarding MP elimination, ozone consumption, reaction time, and required plant space. A full-scale OSW system was installed and operated at the WWTP Duisburg-Vierlinden. A significant reduction in the time required to achieve the maximum possible elimination was observed for all six MPs investigated, with a hydraulic reaction time of 8 min. According to a theoretical calculation, the reactor volume could be reduced by two-thirds of the installed volume.