Catalytic ozonation of dimethyl phthalate over cerium supported on activated carbon

Complete genome sequence of Acinetobacter indicus and identification of the hydrolases provides direct insights into phthalate ester degradation

A strain designated Acinetobacter indicus WMB-7 with the ability to hydrolyze phthalate esters (PAEs) was isolated from the fermented grains of Baijiu. The genome of the strain was sequenced with a length of 3,256,420 bp and annotated with 3183 genes, of which 36 hydrolases encoding genes were identified. The hydrolases were analyzed by protein structure modeling and molecular docking, and 14 enzymes were docked to the ligand di-butyl phthalate with the catalytic active regions, and showed binding affinity. The 14 enzymes were expressed in E. coli and 5 of them showed the ability for PAEs hydrolysis. Enzyme GK020_RS15665 showed high efficiency for PAEs hydrolysis and could efficiently hydrolyze di-butyl phthalate under an initial concentration of 1000 mg/L with a half-life of 4.24 h. This work combined a series of methods for identifying PAEs hydrolases and offered a molecular basis for PAEs degradation of A. indicus strains from Baijiu.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-023-01334-w.

Application of Heterogeneous Catalytic Ozonation in Wastewater Treatment: An Overview

Catalytic ozonation is a non-selective mineralization technology of organic matter in water by using active free radicals generated by ozone degradation. Catalytic ozonation technology can be divided into homogeneous catalytic reactions using metal ions as catalysts and heterogeneous catalytic reactions using solid catalysts. Homogeneous catalytic ozonation technology has many problems, such as low mineralization rate, secondary pollution caused by the introduction of metal ions and low utilization efficiency of oxidants, which limit its practical application. Compared with homogeneous catalytic ozonation technology, heterogeneous catalytic ozonation technology has the advantages of easy recovery, lower cost of water treatment, higher activity and improved mineralization rate of organic matter. This overview classifies and describes catalysts for heterogeneous catalytic ozonation technology, including the different types of metal oxides, metal-free catalysts, and substrates used to immobilize catalysts. In addition, the heterogeneous catalytic ozonation process involved in the multiphase complex reaction process is discussed. The effects of different parameters on the performance of heterogeneous catalytic ozonation are also discussed.

Effect of extrusion-spheronization granulation and manganese loading on catalytic ozonation of petrochemical wastewater

The petrochemical secondary effluent (PSE) is typical refractory wastewater derived from the petrochemical industries, which requires advanced treatment due to the strict environmental protection policies. Catalytic ozonation is one of the most widely used advanced oxidation technologies in wastewater treatment because of its high mineralization rate, in which the alumina-based catalyst usually plays an important role. Extrusion-spheronization is a promising technique for the preparation of alumina spheres because the synthesized alumina particles have high sphericity, high specific surface aera and narrow particle size distribution. In this paper, two kinds of alumina-based catalysts (catalyst A: manganese nitrate added after alumina granulation and catalyst B: manganese nitrate added into alumina powder before granulation) were prepared by the extrusion-spheronization method and used for PSE treatment by catalytic ozonation. The prepared alumina samples were characterized by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while the wastewater samples were analyzed for Total organic carbon (TOC), UV₂₅₄ and fluorescence spectroscopy. Results showed that manganese was uniformly distributed in both catalysts, and the specific surface area of two catalysts was 318.36 m²/g and 354.95 m²/g, respectively. Catalytic ozonation experiments were repeated nine times with each catalyst under the same conditions. The TOC removal rates for catalysts A and B in the first run were 48.88% and 49.06%, respectively, then it dropped to 28.05% for catalyst A but remained 47.81% for catalyst B after using for nine times. This implied that the long-term performance of catalyst B would be more stable than catalyst A. Similar result were found in three-dimensional fluorescence analysis. UV₂₅₄ results indicated that the removal efficiency of aromatic and unsaturated substances by catalyst B was higher than catalyst A. A possible explanation is that the active component manganese oxide formed a catalyst skeleton in catalyst B, which makes it hard to dissolve. Effect of extrusion-spheronization granulation and manganese loading on advanced oxidant treatment of petrochemical wastewater.

Enhanced Heterogeneous Fenton-like Process for Sulfamethazine Removal via Dual-Reaction-Center Fe-Mo/rGO Catalyst

A heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst with single redox site has a rate-limiting step in oxidant activation, which limited its application in wastewater purification. To overcome this, a bimetallic doping strategy was designed to prepare a heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst (Fe-Mo/rGO) with a double-reaction center. Combined with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and density functional theory calculation, it was confirmed that the formation of an electron-rich Mo center and an electron-deficient Fe center through the constructed Fe-O-Mo and Mo-S-C bonding bridges induced a higher electron transfer capability in the Fe-Mo/rGO catalyst. The designed Fe-Mo/rGO catalyst exhibited excellent sulfamethazine (SMT) degradation efficiency in a broad pH range (4.8-8.4). The catalytic performance was hardly affected by inorganic anions (Cl^-, SO₄^2- and HCO₃^-) in the complicated and variable water environment. Compared to Fe/rGO and Mo/rGO catalysts, the SMT degradation efficiency increased by about 14.6 and 1.6 times in heterogeneous Fenton-like reaction over Fe-Mo/rGO catalyst. The electron spin resonance and radical scavenger experiments proved that ·O₂^-/HO₂· and ¹O₂ dominate the SMT removal in the Fe-Mo/rGO/H₂O₂ system. Fe and Mo, as active centers co-supported on rGO, significantly enhanced the electron transfer between catalyst, oxidant, and pollutants, which accelerated the reactive oxygen species generation and effectively improved the SMT degradation. Our findings offer a novel perspective to enhance the performance of heterogeneous Fenton-like catalysts by accelerating the electron transfer rate in the degradation of organic pollutants.

Integrated Electro-Ozonation and Fixed-Bed Column for the Simultaneous Removal of Emerging Contaminants and Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solutions

In the current study, an integrated physiochemical method was utilized to remove tonalide (TND) and dimethyl phthalate (DMP) (as emerging contaminants, ECs), and nickel (Ni) and lead (Pb) (as heavy metals), from synthetic wastewater. In the first step of the study, pH, current (mA/cm2), and voltage (V) were set to 7.0, 30, and 9, respectively; then the removal of TND, DMP, Ni, and Pb with an electro-ozonation reactor was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). At the optimum reaction time (58.1 min), ozone dosage (9.4 mg L−1), initial concentration of ECs (0.98 mg L−1), and initial concentration of heavy metals (28.9 mg L−1), the percentages of TND, DMP, Ni, and Pb removal were 77.0%, 84.5%, 59.2%, and 58.2%, respectively. For the electro-ozonation reactor, the ozone consumption (OC) ranged from 1.1 kg to 3.9 kg (kg O3/kg Ecs), and the specific energy consumption (SEC) was 6.95 (kWh kg−1). After treatment with the optimum electro-ozonation parameters, the synthetic wastewater was transferred to a fixed-bed column, which was filled with a new composite adsorbent (named BBCEC), as the second step of the study. BBCEC improved the efficacy of the removal of TND, DMP, Ni, and Pb to more than 92%.

Recent Developments in Activated Carbon Catalysts Based on Pore Size Regulation in the Application of Catalytic Ozonation

Due to its highly developed pore structure and large specific surface area, activated carbon is often used as a catalyst or catalyst carrier in catalytic ozonation. Although the pore structure of activated carbon plays a significant role in the treatment of wastewater and the mass transfer of ozone molecules, the effect is complicated and unclear. Because different application scenarios require catalysts with different pore structures, catalysts with appropriate pore structure characteristics should be developed. In this review, we systematically summarized the current adjustment methods for the pore structure of activated carbon, including raw material, carbonization, activation, modification, and loading. Then, based on the brief introduction of the application of activated carbon in catalytic ozonation, the effects of pore structure on catalytic ozonation and mass transfer are reviewed. Furthermore, we proposed that the effect of pore structure is mainly to provide catalytic active sites, promote free radical generation, and reduce mass transfer resistance. Therefore, large external surface area and reasonable pore size distribution are conducive to catalytic ozonation and mass transfer.

Enhanced degradation of dimethyl phthalate in wastewater via heterogeneous catalytic ozonation process: performances and mechanisms

Ozonation process is a promising yet challenging method for the removal of refractory organic matter due to the sluggish reaction for generating hydroxyl radical (˙OH) at a neutral pH condition. Herein, an efficient heterogeneous catalytic ozonation system using CeO₂/Al₂O₃ catalyst was developed to remove dimethyl phthalate (DMP) from wastewater. Under a neutral condition of pH = 6, this system achieved almost 100% DMP removal within 15 min at an optimized catalyst dosage of 30 g L⁻¹ and the ozone flow rate of 22.5 mg min⁻¹. Moreover, the catalytic ozonation system exhibited a stable degradation performance of DMP in a wider pH range (pH = 5–10). The results of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and quantitative tests confirmed the ultrafast conversion of O₃ to ˙OH (0.774 μM min⁻¹) on the surface of CeO₂ based ceramic catalyst. The quenching experiments further supported the predominant role of ˙OH in the mineralization of DMP. These results highlight the potential of using the heterogeneous catalytic ozonation system for the efficient removal of refractory organic matter from wastewater.

An efficient heterogeneous catalytic ozonation system using CeO₂/Al₂O₃ catalyst was developed to remove dimethyl phthalate (DMP) from wastewater.

Enhanced Ozone Oxidation by a Novel Fe/Mn@γ−Al2O3 Nanocatalyst: The Role of Hydroxyl Radical and Singlet Oxygen

Catalytic ozonation is a potential alternative to address the dye wastewater effluent, and developing an effective catalyst for catalyzing ozone is desired. In this study, a novel Fe/Mn@γ−Al2O3 nanomaterial was prepared and successfully utilized for catalytic ozonation toward dye wastewater effluent components (dimethyl phthalate and 1−naphthol). The synthesized Fe/Mn@γ−Al2O3 exhibited superior activity in catalytic ozonation of dimethyl phthalate and 1−naphthol in contrast to Fe@γ−Al2O3 and Mn@γ−Al2O3. Quench and probe tests indicated that HO° contributed to almost all removal of dimethyl phthalate, whereas O3, HO°, and singlet oxygen participated in the degradation of 1−naphthol in the Fe/Mn@γ−Al2O3/O3 system. The results of XPS, FT−IR, and EPR suggested that HO° and singlet oxygen were generated from the valence variations of Fe(II/III)and Mn(III/IV). Moreover, the Fe/Mn@γ−Al2O3/O3 system could also have excellent efficacy in actual water samples, including dye wastewater effluent. This study presents an efficient ozone catalyst to purify dye wastewater effluent and deepens the comprehension of the role and formation of reactive species involved in the catalytic ozonation system.

Removal of metallic trace elements (Pb2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, and Ni2+) from aqueous solution by adsorption onto cerium oxide modified activated carbon

The equilibrium and kinetic studies of removal of Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Cu²⁺ metal ions were carried out using activated carbon prepared from palm kernel shell and doped with CeO₂ (Ce/AC). The obtained material carbon was characterized by XRD which showed some crystalline traces of CeO₂, SEM displaying the porous texture with spherical pores and the determination of pH of point of zero charge (pH_PZC) which was found to be equal to 6. The contact time and adsorbate were thoroughly investigated. The maximum adsorption depends inversely on the hydrated metal radius. This observation was confirmed by calculating the formation energies (ΔH_(M(OH)2)) of M(OH)₂. The metal ionic radii were acting on calculated sorption capacity and that sorption efficiency related to ionic radii of metal was as follows: R_(Ni2+) ≤ R_(Cd2+) < R_(Cu2+) < R_(Pb2+). The texture and morphology of the material after sorption were affected by the metallic ion nature as observed by SEM. The kinetic studies showed that the rate constant (k₂) of pseudo-second-order model decreased with the increase of the hydrated cations radii, while the rate constant of intraparticle diffusion increased with the increase of the ionic radii. The Freundlich isotherm model best fit the experimental sorption data for all the metallic ions.

Removal of phthalates from aqueous solution by semiconductor photocatalysis: A review

While phthalate esters are commonly used as plasticizers to improve the flexibility and workability of polymeric materials, their presence and detection in various environments has become a significant concern. Phthalate esters are known to have endocrine-disrupting effects, which affects reproductive health and physical development. As a result, there is now increased focus and urgency to develop effective and energy efficient technologies capable of removing these harmful compounds from the environment. This review explores the use of semiconductor photocatalysis as an efficient and promising solution towards achieving removal and degradation of phthalate esters. A comprehensive review of photocatalysts reported in the literature demonstrates the range of materials including commercial TiO₂, solar activated catalysts and composite materials capable of enhancing adsorption and degradation. The degradation pathways and kinetics are also considered to provide the reader with an insight into the photocatalytic mechanism of removal. In addition, through the use of two key platforms (the technology readiness level scale and electrical energy per order), the crucial parameters associated with advancing photocatalysis for phthalate ester removal are discussed. These include enhanced surface interaction, catalyst platform development, improved light delivery systems and overall system energy requirements with a view towards pilot scale and industrial deployment.

Catalytic ozonation of phenylamine in water with a manganese ore

Recalcitrant pollutants, which form surface complexes with surface metal sites of the catalyst, are difficult to remove by catalytic ozonation in water. Phenylamine (PA), one of the refractory pollutants, was degraded by ozone catalysis with manganese ore in this paper. And the effectiveness and the mechanism of catalytic ozonation with manganese ore for the degradation of PA in water were studied. After the BET test, the specific surface area of the raw and calcined manganese ore was 27.65 m² g⁻¹ and 33.49 m² g⁻¹, respectively. The effects of solution pH, catalyst dose and reaction time on the degradation of PA were evaluated. Results showed that the catalytic potential of calcined manganese ore was better than that of raw manganese ore and ozonation alone in the degradation of PA. It revealed that the increase of hydroxyl radicals generated on the surface of the catalyst or in the solution improved PA degradation. Oxidation of free radicals was the main mechanism of PA degradation in the catalytic ozonation process, occurring with a pseudo-first-order reaction rate at a constant of 0.0993 min⁻¹ (CMP) under the pH of 7.20 and catalyst dose of 3 g L⁻¹. Also, an activation energy of 20.4 kJ mol⁻¹ for PA oxidation over CMP in the presence of O₃ was estimated.

Recalcitrant pollutants, which form surface complexes with surface metal sites of the catalyst, are difficult to remove by catalytic ozonation in water.

A char-clay composite catalyst derived from spent bleaching earth for efficient ozonation of recalcitrants in water

Catalytic ozonation is an efficient process that can be utilized to degrade recalcitrant organics. Char-clay composite derived from refinery spent bleaching earth (SBE) is an economical and readily available catalyst that can be used during the ozonation treatment of recalcitrants in wastewater. Four catalysts of SBE-N₂-650, SBE-N₂-850, SBE-O₂-650, and SBE-O₂-850 were prepared by heating the SBE at 650 and 850 °C under N₂ or O₂ conditions. High surface OH sites in the SBE-N₂-650 and SBE-O₂-650 relative to the SBE-N₂-850 and SBE-O₂-850 resulted in an increase in catalytic activity. Additional carbon (C), that existed in the SBE-N₂-650 and SBE-N₂-850, had a positive effect on catalytic activity. The SBE-N₂-650 exhibited the highest activity among those prepared catalysts. During catalytic ozonation, the SBE-N₂-650 increased the mineralization rate of benzoic acid by 36% when compared with single ozonation. Molecular ozone was decomposed at the surface active sites on SBE-N₂-650, generating active •OH, •O₂^-, or ¹O₂ species. Gas and liquid products having calorific values that are generated during SBE-N₂-650 preparation can be further utilized. This study introduces a potential use of SBE for the ozonation treatment of recalcitrant wastewaters.

Enhanced mineralization of oxalate by highly active and Stable Ce(III)-Doped g-C3N4 catalyzed ozonation

The degradation of carboxylic acid has been identified as one of the rate-determining steps in the mineralization of organic pollutants by ozonation. In this study, Ce(III)-doped graphitic carbon nitride (Ce-CN) composites with different Ce(III) contents were synthesized and used as catalysts for the ozonation of oxalate. The morphology and structure of the Ce-CN were comprehensively characterized using various techniques such as SEM, XRD, FTIR, and XPS. The results show that the structure of g-C₃N₄ provided an ideal site for the accommodation of Ce(III) and thus facilitated the formation of surface hydroxyl groups. With 2.5%Ce-CN as a catalyst, the degradation efficiency of oxalate was increased by 47.1% after reaction for 30 min. The decomposition of ozone was accelerated in the presence of Ce-CN. Hydroxyl radicals were recorded by electron spin resonance and identified as the major actives species. Under the catalysis of 2.5%Ce-CN, the production of hydroxyl radicals was increased by 40%. The Ce(III) and surface hydroxyl groups that distributed uniformly on the surface of Ce-CN were speculated as the dual catalytic sites for the complexation of oxalate and activation of ozone, respectively. Ce-CN had a high stability and reutilization capability. It is proposed that a complex was formed between surface Ce(III) and oxalate, and this complex could be more easily attacked by the surrounding ozone and hydroxyl radicals than free oxalate. As oxalate is a typical recalcitrant carboxylic acid, the findings from this study are expected to promote the application of ozonation in the removal of organic pollutants.

Impact of ozonation and biologically enhanced activated carbon filtration on the composition of micropollutants in drinking water

A pilot-scale drinking water treatment process for Songhua River, including conventional treatment (coagulation-settlement and rapid sand filtration), ozonation, biological enhanced activated carbon (BEAC) filtration, and chlorination disinfection, was carried out in this study. To investigate the impact of ozonation and BEAC filtration on removing the composition of micropollutants in drinking water, we detected the micropollutant composition from each stage of the treatment process by non-targeted analysis using a GC-MS technique and compared the results between effluents of single BEAC and O₃-BEAC processes. Aromatic compounds and esters could be abated efficiently during single BEAC filtration via biodegradation and adsorption; however, possible metabolic products (i.e., alkenes) were formed by biodegradation. Comparatively, O₃-BEAC process could reduce micropollutants much more significantly than single BEAC process especially for aromatic compounds including substituted benzenes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) without the formation of metabolic products through the coupling effect of oxidation, biodegradation, and adsorption, suggesting that ozonation improved the removal potential of micropollutants in the BEAC process. In addition, conventional and novel chlorinated disinfection by-products were also measured during post-chlorination.

Ozonation catalyzed by iron- and/or manganese-supported granular activated carbons for the treatment of phenol

Iron- and/or manganese-supported catalysts on granular activated carbons (Fe and/or Mn/GACs) were prepared, and their catalytic activities were evaluated by using them to treat phenol and secondary petrochemical effluent via ozonation. The presence of Fe and/or Mn/GACs significantly improved the degradation and degree of phenol mineralization. Changes in dissolved ozone concentrations and the effects of carbonate and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) indicated that the prepared catalyst enhanced the decomposition of ozone into hydroxyl radicals (·OH), which was determined to be a key factor in catalyzing the ozonation of phenol. Typical intermediate products were identified by GC-MS and HPLC analysis, and a possible degradation pathway of phenol via catalytic ozonation was proposed. The results of XPS, CV, and other experimental data indicated that introducing Fe and/or Mn increased the rate of ozone decomposition into ·OH, and also enhanced the interfacial electron transfer by Fe²⁺-Fe³⁺ and Mn²⁺-Mn³⁺-Mn⁴⁺ redox cycles, resulting in higher catalytic activity. However, the Fe-Mn/GAC surface was shown to undergo galvanic corrosion between Fe₃O₄ and MnO₂, decreasing the catalytic activity. In addition, catalytic ozonation was used to treat secondary petrochemical effluent. The results demonstrated that the Mn/GAC/O₃ system significantly improved the quality of phenol-containing wastewater in terms of its COD, TOC, NH₄⁺-N, water color, and ecotoxicity. This study gives a better understanding of the phenol treatment by catalytic ozonation using Fe and/or Mn/GAC.

Relationship between the structure of Fe-MCM-48 and its activity in catalytic ozonation for diclofenac mineralization

Fe-MCM-48 catalyst with a three-dimensional cubic pore structure was directly synthesized via a hydrothermal method, and the mineralization efficiency of diclofenac (DCF) in the catalytic ozonation process (Fe-MCM-48/O₃) was assessed. X-ray diffraction (XRD), N₂ adsorption desorption, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterizations revealed that Fe existed in the framework of MCM-48, and Fe-MCM-48 possessed a large surface area and a highly ordered cubic mesoporous structure, which could accelerate reactants and products diffusion. Regarding mineralization efficiency, the addition of Fe-MCM-48 significantly improved total organic carbon (TOC) removal, and approximately 49.9% TOC were removed through the Fe-MCM-48/O₃ process at 60 min, which was 2.0 times higher than that in single ozonation. Due to this catalyst's superior structure, Fe-MCM-48 showed the better catalytic activity compared with Fe-MCM-41 and Fe loaded MCM-48 (Fe/MCM-48, Fe existed on the surface of MCM-48). DCF removal in the Fe-MCM-48/O₃ process was primarily based on ozone direct oxidation. The improvement of mineralization efficiency was attributed to the function of generated hydroxyl radicals (•OH), which indicated that the presence of Fe-MCM-48 accelerated ozone decomposition. Moreover, the negatively charged surface of Fe-MCM-48 and the proper pH value of the DCF solution played an essential role in OH generation.

Characterization of ferromagnetic sludge-based activated carbon and its application in catalytic ozonation of p-chlorobenzoic acid

In order to solve the separation problem of powdered sludge-based activated carbon (SAC), a series of novel ferromagnetic sludge-based activated carbons (FMSACs, with different iron content 2.3, 4.3, and 9.5 wt%) with a good magnetic separation ability were prepared through co-precipitation method in this study. The structure and physicochemical properties of FMSACs and their catalytic ozonation performance on the removal of p-chlorobenzoic acid (p-CBA) were investigated. The saturation magnetization (Ms) of FMSACs was determined in the range of 0.3674-5.7992 emu g^-1, and experiments confirmed that these FMSACs could be easily separated by magnetic fields. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis indicated that magnetite and maghemite were the main magnetic phases in FMSACs. Comparing with ozonation alone and SAC catalytic ozonation, the presence of 2.3 wt% - FMSAC improved the degradation of p-CBA during catalytic ozonation from 44 and 70 to 80%. The tertiary butanol inhibition experiment indicated that FMSACs catalytic ozonation process followed hydroxyl radical reaction mechanism. Furthermore, after six repetitive catalytic ozonation runs, 2.3 wt% - FMSAC still showed relatively high catalytic activity for the removal of p-CBA. Consequently, the novel FMSACs with magnetic separation ability and catalytic performance provide a practical pathway for the sludge utilization.

Catalytic ozonation of dimethyl phthalate using Fe3O4/multi-wall carbon nanotubes

In this paper, Fe₃O₄/multi-wall carbon nanotubes composites were prepared, characterized and used as a catalyst for enhancing the ozonation of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) in aqueous solution. The experimental results showed that DMP degradation and mineralization increased by 26% and 20%, respectively, in catalytic ozonation compared with single ozonation, and more H₂O₂ and organic acids were produced during catalytic ozonation process than single ozonation. The effect of pH, ozone concentration and catalyst dosage on DMP degradation was determined. The addition of tert-butanol and phosphates showed a negative effect on DMP degradation, suggesting that the acidic sites on the catalyst is favorable to ozone decomposition to produce hydroxyl radicals. The possible mechanism for catalytic ozonation of DMP was tentatively proposed. The adsorption of ozone and organics onto the surface of catalyst could improve the DMP degradation.

Removal of dimethyl phthalate from water by ozone microbubbles

This work investigates the removal of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) from water using ozone microbubbles in a pilot plant of 20 dm³ capacity. Experiments were performed under various reaction conditions to examine the effects of the initial concentration of DMP, pH of the medium, ozone generation rate, and the role of H₂O₂ on the removal of DMP. The DMP present in water was effectively removed by the ozone microbubbles. The removal was effective in neutral and alkaline media. Increase in the initial concentration of the target pollutant negatively affected its removal efficiency. The removal efficiency dramatically increased from 1% to 99% when the ozone generation rate was increased from 0.28 to 1.94 mg s^-1 at pH 7. The total organic carbon measurements revealed that a complete mineralization of DMP was achieved within 1.8 ks at the high ozone feed rate. The use of t-butyl alcohol as the hydroxyl radical scavenger confirmed that the reaction between the target organic compound and ·OH radical dominated over its direct reaction with ozone. The reaction between DMP and ozone followed an overall second-order kinetics. The volumetric mass transfer coefficient of ozone in the reacting system and the enhancement factor increased with increasing initial concentration of DMP. Very low values of Hatta number were obtained at all initial concentrations of DMP and pH, which show that the mass transfer resistance was small.

Ozonation of dimethyl phthalate catalyzed by highly active CuxO-Fe3O4 nanoparticles prepared with zero-valent iron as the innovative precursor

Heterogeneous catalytic ozonation provides a promising alternative in the degradation of recalcitrant contaminants. Cu_xO-Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (Cu_xFeO NPs, both Cu(I) and Cu(II) were contained, about 70 nm) were creatively synthesized using Fe(0) as the precursor and subsequently employed as the ozonation catalyst for dimethyl phthalate (DMP) degradation. Results showed that DMP degradation by O₃/Cu_xFeO was significantly faster than those ozonation catalyzed by CuO, Fe₃O₄, or mixture of CuO and Fe₃O₄ (1:1 M ratio), which was ascribed to the unique Cu_xFeO NPs that composed of abundant structural Cu(I) (≡Cu(I)). It was among the first revealing the synergistic effect between ≡Cu(I) and surface lattice oxygen (O^2-) in HO· generation, resulting in rapid DMP degradation kinetics and high mineralization efficiency. Besides the generation of ≡Cu(I), galvanic corrosion between Fe(0) and Cu(II) also generated structural Fe(II), which could reduce the ≡Cu(II) back to ≡Cu(I), thus compensating the electron loss of ≡Cu(I) and finally obtaining a high-efficiency cycling between ≡Cu(II) and ≡Cu(I). The DMP degradation pathway was introduced based on the intermediates detected. By regulating the (re)-generation of low-valent metal (≡Cu(I)), this study provides an innovative strategy to significantly promote the generation of HO· in catalytic ozonation, which might be promising for advanced wastewater treatment.

Application of heterogeneous catalytic ozonation as a tertiary treatment of effluent of biologically treated tannery wastewater

The present study employed a Mn-Cu/Al2O3 heterogeneous catalytic ozonation process for tertiary treatment of actual tannery wastewater, focusing on its feasibility in that application. The primary factors affecting the removal efficiency of organic pollutants were investigated, including catalyst dosage, ozone dosage, and initial pH value. The experimental results showed that the addition of a Mn-Cu/Al2O3 catalyst improved the removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (COD) during ozonation, which initiated a 29.3% increase for COD removal, compared to ozonation alone after 60 min. The optimum pH, catalyst dosage, and ozone dosage were determined to be 7.0, 2.0 g/L, and 0.3 g/h, respectively. Under these conditions, following 60 min of reaction, the COD removal efficiency and the concentration in effluent were 88%, and 17 mg/L, respectively. In addition, the presence of tert-butanol (a well known hydroxyl radical scavenger) strongly inhibited COD removal via Mn-Cu/Al2O3 catalytic ozonation, indicating that the Mn-Cu/Al2O3 catalytic ozonation process follows a hydroxyl radical (OH·) reaction mechanism. The Mn-Cu/Al2O3 catalyst exhibited good stability and reusability. Finally, the kinetic analysis revealed that the apparent reaction rate constant of COD removal with the Mn-Cu/Al2O3 catalytic ozonation system (0.0328 min(-1)) was 2.3 times that of an ozonation system alone (0.0141 min(-1)). These results demonstrated that the catalytic ozonation using Mn-Cu/Al2O3 is an effective and promising process for tertiary treatment of tannery effluent in biological systems.

Pretreatment of concentrated leachate by the combination of coagulation and catalytic ozonation with Ce/AC catalyst

A raw concentrated leachate produced from membrane bioreactor-nanofiltration (MBR-NF) was taken from Chengdu Chang'an Waste Landfill Site, China. The major fraction of this concentrated leachate was large refractory humic substances. A coagulation-ozonation process was applied to treat this leachate, aiming at enhancing chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency and increasing its biodegradability. Meanwhile the molecular size distribution of the leachate, before and after coagulation and ozonation treatment, was analyzed by using ultrafiltration membrane separation. Coagulation pretreatment effectively removed varieties of large molecules in the raw concentrated leachate. The addition of Ce/AC greatly improved the oxidative ability of O3 in COD removal in the ozonation of coagulated leachate. The biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5)/COD ratio increased from 0.011 for the untreated concentrated leachate to 0.30 for the effluent of the coagulation-catalytic ozonation process, which indicated that a subsequent biological treatment could be readily conducted. The stability test demonstrated that the Ce/AC catalyst was effective and stable in the catalytic ozonation process. According to the results of molecular size distribution analysis, a direct correlation was observed between the increase of BOD5/COD and the decrease of apparent molecular weight.

Heterogeneous catalytic ozonation of dibutyl phthalate in aqueous solution in the presence of iron-loaded activated carbon

Iron-loaded activated carbon was prepared and used as catalyst in heterogeneous catalytic ozonation of dibutyl phthalate (DBP). The catalytic activity of iron-loaded activated carbon was investigated under various conditions and the mechanisms of DBP removal were deduced. Characterization of catalyst indicated that the iron loaded on activated carbon was mainly in the form of goethite, which reduced its surface area, pore volume and pore diameter. The presence of metals on activated carbon positively contributed to its catalytic activity in ozonation of DBP. Iron loading content of 15% and initial water pH of 8 achieved highest DBP removal among all the tried conditions. Catalyst dosage of 10 mg L(-1) led to approximately 25% of increase in DBP (initial concentration 2 mg L(-1)) removal in 60 min as compared with ozone alone, and when catalyst dosage increased to 100 mg L(-1), the DBP removal was further improved by 46%. Based on a comparison of reaction rates for direct and indirect transformation of DBP, the increased removal of DBP in this study likely occurred via transformation of ozone into hydroxyl radicals on the catalyst surface.

Catalytic ozonation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid over novel Fe–Ni/AC

Novel Ni–Fe oxides supported on AC can highly improve the degradation and mineralization efficiency of 2,4-D by synergic oxidation.

Removal of alachlor from water by catalyzed ozonation on Cu/Al2O3 honeycomb

Background

The herbicide alachlor (2-chloro-2′6′-diethyl-N-methoxymethylacetanilide) has been known as a probable human carcinogen, and the MCL (minimum contamination level) for drinking water has been set at 2 μg L^-1. Therefore, the advanced methods for effectively removing it from water are a matter of interest. Catalyzed ozonation is a promising method for refractory organics degradation. Cu/Al₂O₃ catalyzed ozonation for degrading an endocrine disruptor (alachlor) in water was investigated.

Results

Experimental results showed that the ozonation of alachlor can be effectively catalyzed and enhanced by Cu/Al₂O₃-honeycomb. The main intermediate products formed (aliphatic carboxylic acids) were mineralized to a large extent in the catalytic process.

Conclusions

This study has shown that Cu/Al₂O₃-honeycomb is a feasible and efficient catalyst in the ozonation of alachlor in water. Less intermediate oxidation product was produced in the catalytic process than in the uncatalytic one. Furthermore, the mineralization of alachlor could be enhanced by increasing the pH of the reaction solution.

Enhanced decomposition of dimethyl phthalate via molecular oxygen activated by Fe@Fe2O3/AC under microwave irradiation

In this study, we demonstrate that the decomposition of dimethyl phthalate under microwave irradiation could be greatly enhanced over Fe@Fe(2)O(3) nanowires supported on activated carbon (Fe@Fe(2)O(3)/AC). The great enhanced decomposition of dimethyl phthalate could be attributed to a unique microwave induced molecular oxygen activation process. Upon microwave irradiation, electrons could be transferred from activated carbon to zero-valent iron, and then react with molecular oxygen to form O(2)(-) and OH radicals for the decomposition of dimethyl phthalate. The deactivation and the regeneration of Fe@Fe(2)O(3)/AC catalyst were systematically studied. We also found that microwave heating could accelerate the electron transferring from AC to Fe@Fe(2)O(3) to generate more reactive oxygen species for the decomposition of DMP than conventional oil bath heating. This novel molecular oxygen activation approach may find applications for wastewater treatment and drinking water purification.

Influence of the different oxidation treatment on the performance of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in the catalytic wet air oxidation of phenol

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) functionalized by different oxidants (HNO(3)/H(2)SO(4), H(2)O(2), O(3) and air) have been used as catalysts for the wet air oxidation of phenol. To investigate the effect of the oxidation conditions on the structure of the functionalized MWCNTs, various characterization techniques, e.g., scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) have been used. The MWCNTs treated with O(3) and H(2)O(2) show higher amounts of oxygen-containing functional groups and carboxylic acid groups, and a weaker acidic nature, in comparison with those treated with other oxidizing agents. All the functionalized MWCNTs exhibit good activity in the catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) of phenol. However, the MWCNTs treated with O(3) show the highest activity with desirable stability in comparison with other functionalized MWCNTs, indicating that the functionalization of carbon nanotubes with O(3) is a very promising strategy in synthesizing efficient catalysts for CWAO.

Photocatalytic ozonation of dimethyl phthalate with TiO2 prepared by a hydrothermal method

TiO(2) was prepared by a hydrothermal method at a low temperature and used to degrade and mineralize dimethyl phthalate (DMP). TiO(2) was characterized by XRD, TEM, BET and UV-vis techniques. The characteristics of TiO(2) prepared by a hydrothermal method (h-t TiO(2)) included a good crystalline anatase phase, greater surface area, stronger absorption to UV light wavelength and lower agglomeration than TiO(2) prepared by a classic sol-gel method (s-g TiO(2)). The photocatalytic activity of h-t TiO(2) prepared under optimal hydrothermal condition (180°C for 10h) was 2.5 times higher than that of s-g TiO(2) in degrading DMP. The process of photocatalysis combined with UV irradiation and ozonation (TiO(2)/UV/O(3)) considerably improved the mineralization and degradation of DMP compared to photocatalysis combined with UV irradiation (TiO(2)/UV), ozonation combined with UV irradiation (UV/O(3)), and ozonation alone (O(3)). A kinetic study showed the mineralization in TiO(2)/UV/O(3) followed the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model.

Activated carbon catalyzed persulfate oxidation of Azo dye acid orange 7 at ambient temperature

Persulfate (PS) oxidative degradation of azo dye acid orange 7 (AO7) in an aqueous solution was studied in the presence of suspended granular activated carbon (GAC) at ambient temperature (e.g., 25°C). It was observed that there existed a remarkable synergistic effect in the GAC/PS combined system. Higher PS concentration and GAC dosage resulted in higher AO7 degrading rates. Near-neutral was the optimal initial pH. Adsorption had an adverse effect on AO7 degradation. AO7 had not only a good decolorization, but a good mineralization. The decomposition of PS followed a first-order kinetics behavior both in the presence and in the absence of AO7. Radical mechanism was studied and three radical scavengers (methanol (MA), tert-butanol (TBA), phenol) were used to determine the kind of major active species taking part in the degradation of AO7 and the location of degradation reaction. It was assumed that the degradation of AO7 did not occur in the liquid phase, but in the porous bulk and boundary layer on the external surface of GAC. SO(4)(-•) or HO•, generated on or near the surface of GAC, played a major role in the AO7 degradation. Finally, the recovery performance of GAC was studied through the GAC reuse experiments.

Wet air oxidation of epoxy acrylate monomer industrial wastewater

Epoxy acrylate monomer industrial wastewater contained highly concentrated and toxic organic compounds. The wet air oxidation (WAO) and catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) were used to eliminate pollutants in order to examine the feasibility of the WAO/CWAO as a pre-treatment method for the industrial wastewater. The results showed that in the WAO 63% chemical oxygen demand (COD) and 41% total organic carbon (TOC) removals were achieved and biological oxygen demand (BOD(5))/COD ratio increased from 0.13 to 0.72 after 3h reaction at 250 degrees C, 3.5MPa and the initial concentration of 100g(COD)/L. Among homogenous catalysts (Cu(2+), Fe(2+), Fe(3+) and Mn(2+) salts), Cu(2+) salt exhibited better performance. CuO catalyst was used in the CWAO of the wastewater, COD and TOC conversion were 77 and 54%, and good biodegradability was achieved. The results proved that the CWAO was an effective pre-treatment method for the epoxy acrylate monomer industrial wastewater.