Simultaneous photochemical generation of ozone in the gas phase and photolysis of aqueous reaction systems using one VUV light source

Abstract

A more efficient use of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation produced by an immersed Xe-excimer light source (172 nm) was investigated for the oxidative degradation of organic pollutants in aqueous systems. All emitted VUV radiation from one light source was used in two simultaneous but separate photochemical reactions: (1) photochemical generation of ozone by irradiating oxygen in the gas phase and (2) photolysis of the aqueous reaction system. The gas stream containing the generated ozone is sparged into the reaction system, thus enhancing the oxidative degradation of organic pollutants. The photochemically generated ozone in the gas phase was quantitatively analyzed, and the kinetics of the degradation of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) and of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were determined under different experimental conditions. The results show that the rates of degradation of the substrate and of the DOC decrease in the order of the applied processes, VUV/O3 > O3 > VUV.