Towards reducing DBP formation potential of drinking water by favouring direct ozone over hydroxyl radical reactions during ozonation

Suppressing Organic Bromine but Promoting Bromate: Is the Ultraviolet/Ozone Process a Double-Edged Sword for the Toxicity of Wastewater to Mammalian Cells?

Brominated byproducts and toxicity generation are critical issues for ozone application to wastewater containing bromide. This study demonstrated that ultraviolet/ozone (UV/O3, 100 mJ/cm2, 1 mg-O3/mg-DOC) reduced the cytotoxicity of wastewater from 14.2 mg of pentol/L produced by ozonation to 4.3 mg of pentol/L (1 mg/L bromide, pH 7.0). The genotoxicity was also reduced from 1.65 to 0.17 μg-4-NQO/L by UV/O3. Compared with that of O3 alone, adsorbable organic bromine was reduced from 25.8 to 5.3 μg/L by UV/O3, but bromate increased from 32.9 to 71.4 μg/L. The UV/O3 process enhanced the removal of pre-existing precursors (highly unsaturated and phenolic compounds and poly aromatic hydrocarbons), while new precursors were generated, yet the combined effect of UV/O3 on precursors did not result in a significant change in toxicity. Instead, UV radiation inhibited HOBr concentration through both rapid O3 decomposition to reduce HOBr production and decomposition of the formed HOBr, thus suppressing the AOBr formation. However, the hydroxyl radical-dominated pathway in UV/O3 led to a significant increase of bromate. Considering both organic bromine and bromate, the UV/O3 process effectively controlled both cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of wastewater to mammalian cells, even though an emphasis should be also placed on managing elevated bromate. Futhermore, other end points are needed to evaluate the toxicity outcomes of the UV/O3 process.

Catalytic ozonation of reverse osmosis membrane concentrates by catalytic ozonation: Properties and mechanisms

Ni-Mn@KL ozone catalyst was prepared for the efficient treatment of reverse osmosis membrane concentrates. The working conditions and reaction mechanism of the ozone-catalyzed oxidation by Ni-Mn@KL were systematically studied. Then, a comprehensive CRITIC weighting-coupling coordination evaluation model was established. Ni-Mn@KL was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, BET, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy-dispersive spectrometry, and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and found to have large specific surface area and homogeneous surface dispersion of striped particles. Under the optimum working conditions with an initial pH of 7.9 (raw water), a reaction height-to-diameter ratio of 10:1, an ozone-aeration intensity of 0.3 L/min, and a catalyst filling rate of 10%, the maximum COD removal rate was 60.5%. Free-radical quenching experiments showed that OH oxidation played a dominant role in the Ni-Mn@KL-catalyzed ozone-oxidation system, and the reaction system conformed to the second-order reaction kinetics law. Ni-Mn@KL catalysts were further confirmed to have good catalytic performance and mechanical performance after repeated utilization. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Ni-Mn@KL catalyst can achieve effective treatment of RO film concentrated liquid. High COD removal rate of RO membrane concentrated liquid was obtained at low cost. Ni-Mn@KL catalyst promotes ozone decomposition to produce ·OH and O2 -· oxidized organic matter. The Ni-Mn@KL catalyst can maintain good stability after repeated use. A CRITIC weight-coupling coordination model was established to evaluate the catalytic ozonation.

Effects of ozone dose on brominated DBPs in subsequent chlor(am)ination: A comprehensive study of aliphatic, alicyclic and aromatic DBPs

Ozone‒chlor(am)ine is a commonly used combination of disinfectants in drinking water treatment. Although there are quite a few studies on the formation of some individual DBPs in the ozone‒chlor(am)ine disinfection, an overall picture of the DBP formation in the combined disinfection is largely unavailable. In this study, the effects of ozone dose on the formation and speciation of organic brominated disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in subsequent chlorination, chloramination, or chlorination‒chloramination of simulated drinking water were investigated. High-molecular-weight, aliphatic, alicyclic and aromatic brominated DBPs were selectively detected and studied using a powerful precursor ion scan method with ultra performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC/ESI-tqMS). Two groups of unregulated yet relatively toxic DBPs, dihalonitromethanes and dihaloacetaldehydes, were detected by the UPLC/ESI-tqMS for the first time. With increasing ozone dose, the levels of high-molecular-weight (m/z 300-500) and alicyclic and aromatic brominated DBPs generally decreased, the levels of brominated aliphatic acids were slightly affected, and the levels of dihalonitromethanes and dihaloacetaldehydes generally increased in the subsequent disinfection processes. Despite different molecular compositions of the detected DBPs, increasing ozone dose generally shifted the formation of DBPs from chlorinated ones to brominated analogues in the subsequent disinfection processes. This study provided a comprehensive analysis of the impact of ozone dose on the DBP formation and speciation in subsequent chlor(am)ine disinfection.

Extensive comparison of methods for removal of organic halogen compounds from pharmaceutical process wastewaters with life cycle, PESTLE, and multi-criteria decision analyses

Recycling and disposing wastewater from the pharmaceutical industry are of utmost importance in mitigating chemical waste generation, where unmanaged hazardous waste fluxes could cause massive environmental damage. Air stripping, steam stripping, distillation, and incineration offer significant emission reduction potentials for pharmaceutical applications; however, selecting specific process units is a complicated task due to the high number of influencing screening criteria. The mentioned chemical processes are modelled with the Aspen Plus program. This study examines the environmental impacts of adsorbable organic halogens (AOX) containing pharmaceutical process wastewater disposal by conducting life cycle impact assessments using the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF), IMPACT World + Endpoint V1.01, and Recipe 2016 Endpoint (H) V1.06 methods. The results show that the distillation-based separation of AOX compounds is characterized by the most favourable climate change impact and outranks the PEF single score of air stripping, steam stripping, and incineration by 6.3%, 29.1%, 52.0%, respectively. The energy-intensive distillation technology is further evaluated by considering a wide selection of energy sources (i.e., fossil fuel, nuclear, solar, wind onshore, and wind offshore) using PESTLE (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, Environmental) analysis combined with multi-criteria decision support to determine the most beneficial AOX disposal scenario. The best overall AOX regeneration performance and lowest climate change impact (7.25 × 10-3 kg CO2-eq (1 kg purified wastewater)-1) are obtained by supplying variable renewable electricity from onshore wind turbines, reaching 64.87% carbon emission reduction compared to the baseline fossil fuel-based process alternative.

Removal performance of dissolved organic matter from municipal secondary effluent by different advanced treatment processes and preventing the formation of disinfection by-products

Various advanced treatment processes including ultrafiltration (UF), ozonation, enhanced coagulation, and biological aerated filter (BAF) have been applied to reduce dissolved organic matter (DOM) from the secondary effluent of municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWTPs). In this study, DOM were characterized and the relationship between DOM characteristics and disinfection by-products (DBPs) generation was investigated systematically. Results showed that BAF and ozonation processes could significantly affect DOM characteristics in the treated effluents and the following DBP generation. UF and enhanced coagulation reduced the production of DBPs by removing large molecular hydrophobic organics. The removal of low molecule DOM by BAF resulted in a 67.6% reduction in trihalomethanes (THMs) production. Ozonation could oxidize large hydrophobic DOM into small hydrophilic molecules containing aldehyde and ketone groups, leading to 54% increase of halogenated aldehydes (HALs) and halogenated ketones (HKs). Humic acid (HA) was the main organic type in DOM and important precursor for THMs and dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN) formation. The generation of trichloromethane (TCM) showed a significant positive correlation (R2 = 0.987) with the specific ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm (SUVA). Large molecule hydrophobic DOM devoted the most to the formation of carbonaceous disinfection by-products and [Formula: see text]-N content was an important factor affecting the generation of nitrogenous disinfection by-products. These results are important for the optimization of advanced treatment process in MWTPs, and controlling DBPs should consider the removal of low MW hydrophobic DOM and the reduction of SUVA.

Exploring impacts of water-extractable organic matter on pre-ozonation followed by nanofiltration process: Insights from pH variations on DBPs formation

This study investigated the influence of pH (4-10) on the treatment of water-extractable organic matter (WEOM), and the associated disinfection by-products (DBPs) formation potential (FP), during the pre-ozonation/nanofiltration treatment process. At alkaline pH (9-10), a rapid decline in water flux (> 50 %) and higher membrane rejection was observed, as a consequence of the increased electrostatic repulsion forces between the membrane surface and organic species. Parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) modeling and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) provides detailed insights into the WEOM compositional behavior at different pH levels. Ozonation at higher pH significantly reduced the apparent molecular weight (MW) of WEOM in the 4000-7000 Da range by transforming the large MW (humic-like) substances into small hydrophilic fractions. Fluorescence components C1 (humic-like) and C2 (fulvic-like) exhibited a predominant increase/decrease in concentration for all pH conditions during pre-ozonation and nanofiltration treatment process, however, the C3 (protein-like) component was found highly associated with the reversible and irreversible membrane foulants. The ratio C1/C2 provided a strong correlation with the formation of total trihalomethanes (THMs) (R² = 0.9277) and total haloacetic acids (HAAs) (R² = 0.5796). The formation potential of THMs increased, and HAAs decreased, with the increase of feed water pH. Ozonation markedly reduced the formation of THMs by up to 40 % at higher pH levels, but increased the formation of brominated-HAAs by shifting the formation potential of DBPs towards brominated precursors.

Relationship between photolysis mechanism and photo-enhanced toxicity to Vibrio Fischeri for neonicotinoids with cyano-amidine and nitroguanidine structures

Neonicotinoids are widely used pesticides that contaminate aquatic environments. Although these chemicals can be photolyzed under sunlight radiation, it is unclear for the relationship between photolysis mechanism and toxicity change in aquatic organisms. This study aims to determine the photo-enhanced toxicity of four neonicotinoids with different main structures (acetamiprid, and thiacloprid for cyano-amidine structure, imidacloprid and imidaclothiz for nitroguanidine). To Achieve the goal, photolysis kinetics, effect of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and reactive oxygen species (ROSs) scavengers on photolysis rates, photoproducts, and photo-enhanced toxicity to Vibrio fischeri were investigated for four neonicotinoids. The results showed direct photolysis plays a key role in the photo-degradation of imidacloprid and imidaclothiz (photolysis rate constants are 7.85 × 10^-3 and 6.48 × 10^-3 min^-1, respectively), while the photosensitization process of acetamiprid and thiacloprid was dominated by ·OH reactions and transformation (photolysis rate constants are 1.16 × 10^-4 and 1.21 × 10^-4 min^-1, respectively). All four neonicotinoid insecticides exerted photo-enhanced toxicity to Vibrio fischeri, indicating photolytic product(s) posed greater toxicity than their parent compounds. The addition of DOM and ROS scavengers influenced photo-chemical transformation rates of parent compounds and their intermediates, leading to diverse effects on photolysis rates and photo-enhanced toxicity for the four insecticides as a result of different photo-chemical transformation processes. Based upon the detection of chemical structures of intermediates and Gaussian calculations, we observed different photo-enhanced toxicity mechanisms for the four neonicotinoid insecticides. Molecular docking was used to analyze the toxicity mechanism of parent compounds and photolytic products. A theoretical model was subsequently employed to describe the variability of toxicity response to each of the four neonicotinoids.

Comparison of nitrate formation mechanisms from free amino acids and amines during ozonation: a computational study

Nitrate as a potential surrogate parameter for abatement of micropollutants, oxidant exposure, and characterizing oxidant-reactive DON during ozonation has attracted extensive attention, however, understanding of its formation mechanisms is still limited. In this study, nitrate formation mechanisms from amino acids (AAs) and amines during ozonation were investigated by the DFT method. The results indicate that N-ozonation initially occurs to produce competitive nitroso- and N,N-dihydroxy intermediates, and the former is preferred for both AAs and primary amines. Then, oxime and nitroalkane are generated during further ozonation, which are the important last intermediate products for nitrate formation from the respective AAs and amines. Moreover, the ozonation of the above important intermediates is the nitrate yield-controlling step, where the relatively higher reactivity of the CN moiety in the oxime compared to the general C_α atom in the nitroalkane explains why the nitrate yields of most AAs are higher than those from general amines, and it is the larger number of released C_α^- anions, which are the real reaction sites attacked by ozone, that leads to the higher nitrate yield for nitroalkane with an electron-withdrawing group bound to the C_α atom. The good relationship between nitrate yields and activation free energies of the rate-limiting step (ΔG≠rls) and nitrate yield-controlling step (ΔG≠nycs) for the respective AAs and amines verifies the reliability of the proposed mechanisms. Additionally, the bond dissociation energy of C_α-H in the nitroalkanes formed from amines was found to be a good parameter to evaluate the reactivity of the amines. The findings here are helpful for further understanding nitrate formation mechanisms and predicting nitrate precursors during ozonation.

Oxidative treatment of NOM by selective oxidants in drinking water treatment and its impact on DBP formation in postchlorination

Natural organic matter (NOM), as a ubiquitous component in aqueous environments, has raised continuous scientific concerns due to its role as an organic precursor to disinfection by-products (DBPs) in the subsequent chlorination process. Selective oxidants, including ozone (O₃), chlorine dioxide (ClO₂), permanganate (Mn(VII)), and ferrate (Fe(VI)) are widely used in the preoxidation stage in drinking water treatment. The selective reactivity of those oxidants toward NOM is expected to alternate NOM properties and consequently DBP formation in postchlorination. Despite extensive studies on the interactions of NOM with selective oxidants, there is currently a lack of an overview of this area. To fill this gap, this study presents the current knowledge of the modification of NOM properties by selective oxidants and its impact on DBP formation in postchlorination. The NOM property changes in three aspects, including bulk property (e.g., total organic carbon, ultraviolet absorbance), fractional constituent (e.g., molecular size, hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity), and elemental composition (e.g., functional group) by the four selective oxidants (i.e., O₃, ClO₂, Mn(VII), and Fe(VI)) were discussed. Thereafter, the impacts of alteration of NOM properties by those selective oxidants on DBP formation in the subsequent chlorination were summarized, wherein the key influencing factors were discussed. Finally, the future perspectives in this area were forwarded, which highlighted the significance of process optimization, the attention to the less studied but more toxic DBPs, and the need for the identification of unknown DBPs. This review presented a state-of-the-art knowledge pool of the fate of NOM in oxidation and chlorination processes, promoted our understanding of the relationship between NOM properties and DBP formation, and identified further research needs in this area.

Multiple Roles of Dissolved Organic Matter in Advanced Oxidation Processes

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) can degrade a wide range of trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) to improve the quality of potable water or discharged wastewater effluents. Their effectiveness is impacted, however, by the dissolved organic matter (DOM) that is ubiquitous in all water sources. During the application of an AOP, DOM can scavenge radicals and/or block light penetration, therefore impacting their effectiveness toward contaminant transformation. The multiple ways in which different types or sources of DOM can impact oxidative water purification processes are critically reviewed. DOM can inhibit the degradation of TrOCs, but it can also enhance the formation and reactivity of useful radicals for contaminants elimination and alter the transformation pathways of contaminants. An in-depth analysis highlights the inhibitory effect of DOM on the degradation efficiency of TrOCs based on DOM's structure and optical properties and its reactivity toward oxidants as well as the synergistic contribution of DOM to the transformation of TrOCs from the analysis of DOM's redox properties and DOM's transient intermediates. AOPs can alter DOM structure properties as well as and influence types, mechanisms, and extent of oxidation byproducts formation. Research needs are proposed to advance practical understanding of how DOM can be exploited to improve oxidative water purification.

Influence of water matrix on the degradation of organic micropollutants by ozone based processes: A review on oxidant scavenging mechanism

The prevalence of organic micropollutants (OMPs) in aquatic environment has expedited scientific and regulatory efforts to retrofit existing wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The current strategy involves WWTPs upgrading with post-ozonation i.e., ozone (O₃) and/or peroxone process (O₃ +H₂O₂). Still, ozone-based degradation of OMPs faces several challenges. For example, the degradation mechanism and kinetics of OMPs could largely be affected by water matrix compounds which include inorganic ions and natural organic matter (NOM). pH also plays a decisive role in determining the reactivity of the oxidants (O₃, H₂O₂, andHO^•), stability and speciation of matrix constituents and OMPs and thus susceptibility of OMPs to the reactions with oxidants. There have been reviews discussing the impact of matrix components on the degradation of OMPs by advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). Nevertheless, a review focusing on scavenging mechanisms, formation of secondary oxidants and their scavenging effects with a particular focus on ozonation and peroxone process is lacking. Therefore, in order to broaden the knowledge on this subject, the database 'Web of Science' was searched for the studies related to the 'matrix effect on the degradation of organic micropollutants by ozone based processes' over the time period of 2004-2021. The relevant literature was thoroughly reviewed and following conclusions were made: i) chloride has inhibitory effects if it exits at higher concentrations or as free chlorine i.e. HOCl/ClO^-. ii) The inhibitory effects of chloride, bromide, HOBr/OBr^- and HOCl/ClO^- are dominant in neutral and alkaline conditions and may result in the formation of secondary oxidants (e.g., chlorine atoms or free bromine), which in turn contribute to pollutant degradation or form undesired oxidation by-products such as BrO₃^-, ClO₃^- and halogenated organic products. ii) NOM may induce inhibitory or synergetic effects depending on the type, chemical properties and concentration of NOM. Therefore, more efforts are required to understand the importance of pH variation as well as the effects of water matrix on the reactivity of oxidants and subsequent degradation of OMPs.

Feasibility of micropollutants removal by solar-activated persulfate: Reactive oxygen species formation and influence on DBPs

As a natural source of visible light and a type of renewable energy, solar energy is extensively used in the field of photochemistry. In this study, solar was employed to activate persulfate (PS) to degrade typical micropollutants. The removal kinetics of aspirin (ASA) and flunixin meglumine (FMME) in the solar/PS system were well fitted by pseudo-first-order models (R² > 0.99). In the system containing 1.0 mM PS activated by solar irradiation at a fluence of 1.14 × 10^-4 E·m^-2·s^-1, 72.6% and 97.5% of ASA and FMME were degraded, and the corresponding kinetic constants were 6.8-9.8 × 10^-2 and 1.6-9.8 × 10^-1 min^-1, respectively. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) indicated that sulfate radical (SO₄^·-) played a major role in degradation, with the maximum contributions of 77.7% and 88.8% for the degradation of ASA and FMME, whereas the maximum contributions of hydroxyl radical (·OH) were only 11.6% and 6.5%, respectively. The contributions of singlet oxygen (¹O₂) were less than 15% at pH 5.5, but increased to 25.6% and 45.5% at pH 8.5, respectively. Solar/PS pre-oxidation increased disinfection byproducts (DBPs) (95.8% for trihalomethanes (THMs) and 47.9% for haloacetic acids (HAAs) at pH 7.0) after chlorination in deionized water, and an opposite trend was found in systems coexisting with natural organic matter (NOM). Residual PS after oxidation resulted in a high aquatic toxicity, with an inhibition rate of 18.70% to algae growth. Economic analysis showed that the electrical energy per order values of the system ranged from 23.5 to 86.5 kWh·m^-3·order^-1, indicating that the solar/PS system shows promise for practical applications.

Ozone oxidation of 2,4,6-TCP in the presence of halide ions: Kinetics, degradation pathways and toxicity evaluation

2,4,6-Trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) is extensively consumed in industrial production and may cause environmental damages. The effect of halide ions on the decomposition of 2,4,6-TCP has often been overlooked. In this study, the bromide ion was found to have a stronger negative impact on 2,4,6-TCP degradation than chloride ion in the O₃ system, and led to the formation of adsorbable organic halogens (AOX). Kinetic modeling demonstrated that the concentration of various radicals was largely depended on the solution pH, and stronger basicity not only contributed to the mineralization of 2,4,6-TCP, but also inhibited the formation of halogenated by-products. Combining the intermediate identification and quantum chemical calculation, the degradation pathways of 2,4,6-TCP during ozone oxidation process were proposed. The toxicity test and ECOSAR simulation demonstrated that the acute toxicity of some 2,4,6-TCP degradation intermediates was relatively higher than their parent compound. With high concentrations of halide ions, the ozone-treated solution showed greater toxicity than the originator 2,4,6-TCP solution. These results illustrate that the ozone treatment of the halide-containing wastewater may cause potential ecological hazards and its application needs to be more cautious.

Nitriles as main products from the oxidation of primary amines by ferrate(VI): Kinetics, mechanisms and toxicological implications for nitrogenous disinfection byproduct control

Ferrate (Fe(VI)), a promising water treatment oxidant, can be used for micropollutant abatement or disinfection byproduct mitigation. However, knowledge gaps remain concerning the interaction between Fe(VI) and dissolved organic matter structures, notably primary amines. This study investigated degradation kinetics and products of several aliphatic primary amines by Fe(VI). Primary amines showed appreciable reactivity toward Fe(VI) (2.7-68 M-1s-1 at pH 7-9), ranking as follows: benzylamine > phenethylamine > phenylpropylamine > methylamine ≈ propylamine. Nitriles were the main oxidation products of the primary amines, with molar yields of 61-103%. Minor products included aldehydes, carboxylic acids, nitroalkanes, nitrite, nitrate, and ammonia. The buffering conditions were important. Compared to phosphate, borate enhanced the reactivity of the amines and shifted the products from nitriles to carbonyls. An evaluation of the effect potency of some cyano-compounds by an in vitro bioassay for oxidative stress response and cytotoxicity suggested that non-halogenated nitriles are unlikely to pose a significant threat because they were only toxic at high concentrations, acted as baseline toxicants and did not cause oxidative stress, unlike halonitroalkanes or halonitriles. The formation of non-halogenated nitriles is preferable to the formation of nitroalkanes arising from the ozonation of primary amines (other than amino acid N-terminals) because, during chlorination, nitriles remain unreactive while nitroalkanes lead to potent halonitroalkanes.

Understanding the influence of pre-ozonation on the formation of disinfection byproducts and cytotoxicity during post-chlorination of natural organic matter: UV absorbance and electron-donating-moiety of molecular weight fractions

Pre-ozonation can reduce the formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) and related adverse effects during subsequent chlorination, but the change of each molecular weight (MW) fraction during each step of combined pre-ozonation and post-chlorination has not been well illustrated. In this study, it was investigated in terms of electron-donating-moieties (EDMs) and UVA₂₅₄ for a representative natural organic matter from Suwanee river (SRNOM). Pre-ozonation suppressed the post-chlorination of SRNOM through oxidation of almost all EDMs (>85%) and UVA₂₅₄ (>90%) in high MW fractions (HMW, >3.2 kDa) and moderate EDMs (43%) and UVA₂₅₄ (72%) in medium MW fractions (MMW, 1.0-3.2 kDa). Furthermore, pre-ozonation led to comparable abatements of EDMs and UVA₂₅₄ for HMW fractions, but lower abatement of EDMs than UVA₂₅₄ for MMW fractions. However, when t-BuOH was used as an ^•OH-quencher, pre-ozonation led to a few instances in which there were higher abatements of EDMs than UVA₂₅₄ for the MMW fraction. These findings suggested that the HMW fraction dominantly underwent ring-cleavage of phenols via O₃- or ^•OH-oxidation. Differently, the MMW fraction underwent ring-cleavage of phenols and quinones-formation via O₃-oxidation, but occasionally underwent hydroxylation and hydro-phenol formation via ^•OH-oxidation. Because of forehand elimination of reactive moieties (e.g. EDMs), pre-ozonation obviously inhibited the formation of representative DBPs (67%-84% inhibition), total organic chloride (51% inhibition) and cytotoxicity (31% inhibition), but may have promoted the formation of carbonyl-DBPs (trichloroacetone and chloral hydrate). When compared with UVA₂₅₄, EDMs would better for surrogate of DBPs formation. EDM abatement surrogated the formation of total organic chlorine (TOCl) and cytotoxicity following a two-stage phase, possibly because the speciation of DBPs and transformation products varied with the abatement of EDMs.

Transformation of antiviral ribavirin during ozone/PMS intensified disinfection amid COVID-19 pandemic

Due to the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), large amounts of antivirals were consumed and released into wastewater, posing risks to the ecosystem and human health. Ozonation is commonly utilized as pre-oxidation process to enhance the disinfection of hospital wastewater during COVID-19 spread. In this study, the transformation of ribavirin, antiviral for COVID-19, during ozone/PMS‑chlorine intensified disinfection process was investigated. •OH followed by O₃ accounted for the dominant ribavirin degradation in most conditions due to higher reaction rate constant between ribavirin and •OH vs. SO₄•^- (1.9 × 10⁹ vs. 7.9 × 10⁷ M^-1 s^-1, respectively). During the O₃/PMS process, ribavirin was dehydrogenated at the hydroxyl groups first, then lost the amide or the methanol group. Chloride at low concentrations (e.g., 0.5- 2 mg/L) slightly accelerated ribavirin degradation, while bromide, iodide, bicarbonate, and dissolved organic matter all reduced the degradation efficiency. In the presence of bromide, O₃/PMS process resulted in the formation of organic brominated oxidation by-products (OBPs), the concentration of which increased with increasing bromide dosage. However, the formation of halogenated OBPs was negligible when chloride or iodide existed. Compared to the O₃/H₂O₂ process, the concentration of brominated OBPs was significantly higher after ozonation or the O₃/PMS process. This study suggests that the potential risks of the organic brominated OBPs should be taken into consideration when ozonation and ozone-based processes are used to enhance disinfection in the presence of bromide amid COVID-19 pandemic.

Performance of microbubble ozonation on treated tropical peat water: Effects on THM4 and HAA5 precursor formation based on DOM hydrophobicity fractions

The hydrophobicity properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM) found in tropical peat water has an impact on the formation of carcinogenic DBPs such as trihalomethanes-4 (THM4) and haloacetic acids-5 (HAA5). This study was conducted to determine the effect of microbubble ozonation on changes in DOM fraction and its effect on the formation of THM4 and HAA5. Alum coagulation and activated carbon adsorption were carried out to reduce the DOM concentration before microbubble ozonation. Microbubble ozonation was carried out at acidic (pH 5.5), neutral (pH 7) and alkaline (pH 8.5) conditions to determine the effect of pH. Coagulation and adsorption of activated carbon were successful in reducing the presence of the hydrophobic acid fraction (HPOA) in peat water completely, but the transphilic (TPH), charged hydrophilic (HPIC) and neutral hydrophilic (HPIN) fractions remained in the water. Microbubble ozonation succeeded in decreasing the presence of TPH fraction but increased the formation of HPIC and HPIN. The degradation of the TPH fraction resulted in reduced formation of chlorinated THM4 and HAA5 (C-THM4 and C-HAA5). On the other hand, the formation of HPIC and HPIN fractions increased the formation of brominated THM4 and HAA5 (B-THM4 and B-HAA5) after the final chlorination process.

Compositional characteristics of dissolved organic matter in pharmaceutical wastewater effluent during ozonation

The compositional characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in pharmaceutical wastewater effluent can affect the further improvement and application of the ozone treatment process. The present study investigated the changes of chemical structures, molecular weight (MW) distribution, hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity distribution, fluorescence properties and the molecular composition of DOM in pharmaceutical wastewater effluent during ozonation. Besides, the toxicity change of pharmaceutical wastewater effluent during ozonation was estimated. The results show that ozone is prone to attack high MW fractions, which contributes the most to the UV₂₅₄ value and could improve the biodegradability of refractory DOM in pharmaceutical wastewater effluent. Hydrophobic acid contained the most aromatic and unsaturated bonded organic matter, and was more readily oxidized under ozonation. In fluorescent components, ozonation significantly decreased humic-like acid compounds, and hydrophobic humic-like compounds exhibited the highest removal through parallel factor analysis. At the molecular level, the main organics removed by ozone were compounds with high H/C and low O/C, especially compounds where H/C >1.5. The CHO, CHON and CHOS compounds exhibited high removal under ozonation in formula classes. Lignin compounds, condensed aromatics compounds, and unsaturated hydrocarbons were effectively removed by ozone in compound classes. After ozonation, the number of lipid and sugar compounds increased. In addition, O/Cwa (the intensity-weighted average parameters of O/C) and NOSCwa (nominal oxidation state of carbon) were significantly positively correlated with acute toxicity on the luminescence. With the increase of ozone dose, the acute toxicity of pharmaceutical wastewater effluent after ozonation first decreased and then increased.

Derivates variation of phenylalanine as a model disinfection by-product precursor during long term chlorination and chloramination

Dissolved nitrogenous organic matter in water can contain precursors of disinfection by-products (DBPs), especially nitrogenous DBPs (N-DBPs). Amino acids are ubiquitous as dissolved nitrogenous organic matter in source water and can pass through drinking water treatment processes to react with disinfectants in finished water and in the distribution system. Phenylalanine (Phe) was selected as a model amino acid precursor to investigate its derived DBPs and their variations during a chlorination regime that simulated water distribution with residue chlorine. The 7-day DBPs formation potential (DBPsFP) test with chlorine revealed chlorination by-products of phenylalanine including trihalomethanes (THMs), haloacetic acids (HAAs), haloacetonitriles (HANs), and halonitromethanes (HNMs), but not trichloronitromethane (TCNM) which was a significant N-DBP detected during the first 48 h of chlorine contact. The formation of most carbonaceous DBPs (C-DBPs) increased with chlorination time; however N-DBPs and non-chlorinated byproducts of phenylacetonitrile and phenylacetaldehyde reached their highest concentration after 2 h of reaction, and then gradually decreased until below detection after 7 days. The chlorination influencing factors indicated that light enhanced the peak yield of DBPs; the pH value showed different influences associated with corresponding DBPs; and the presence of bromide ions (Br^-) generated a variety of bromine-containing DBPs. The DBPsFP test with chloramine reduced C-DBPs generation to about 1/3 of the level observed for chlorine disinfection and caused an increase in dichloroacetonitrile. Surveillance of DBPs during drinking water distribution to consumers should consider the varying contact times with disinfectants to accurately profile the types and concentrations of C-DBPs and N-DBPs present in drinking water.

The Role of Catalytic Ozonation Processes on the Elimination of DBPs and Their Precursors in Drinking Water Treatment

Formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in drinking water treatment (DWT) as a result of pathogen removal has always been an issue of special attention in the preparation of safe water. DBPs are formed by the action of oxidant-disinfectant chemicals, mainly chlorine derivatives (chlorine, hypochlorous acid, chloramines, etc.), that react with natural organic matter (NOM), mainly humic substances. DBPs are usually refractory to oxidation, mainly due to the presence of halogen compounds so that advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are a recommended option to deal with their removal. In this work, the application of catalytic ozonation processes (with and without the simultaneous presence of radiation), moderately recent AOPs, for the removal of humic substances (NOM), also called DBPs precursors, and DBPs themselves is reviewed. First, a short history about the use of disinfectants in DWT, DBPs formation discovery and alternative oxidants used is presented. Then, sections are dedicated to conventional AOPs applied to remove DBPs and their precursors to finalize with the description of principal research achievements found in the literature about application of catalytic ozonation processes. In this sense, aspects such as operating conditions, reactors used, radiation sources applied in their case, kinetics and mechanisms are reviewed.

Kinetic removal of acetaminophen and phenacetin during LED-UV365 photolysis of persulfate system: Reactive oxygen species generation

Acetaminophen (ACT) and phenacetin (PNT) removal during light-emitting diode (LED)-UV photolysis of persulfate (PS) was evaluated with a typical wavelength of 365 nm. Decay of PNT and ACT in pH ranges of 5.5-8.5 followed pseudo-first order kinetics. Maximum pseudo-first order rate constants (k_obs) of ACT and PNT decomposition of 1.8 × 10^-1 and 1.2 × 10^-1 min^-1, respectively, were obtained at pH 8.5. Hydroxyl radicals (·OH), sulfate radicals (SO₄·^-), superoxide radicals (O₂^-·), and singlet oxygen (¹O₂) were determined in-situ electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and alcohol scavenging tests. The average contributions of ·OH and SO₄·^- were 23.5% and 53.0% for PNT removal, and 15.9% and 53.0% for ACT removal at pH ranges of 5.5-8.5. In samples subjected to chlorination after LED-UV₃₆₅/PS pre-oxidation, a relatively small total concentration of five halogenated disinfection by-products (DBPs) was obtained of 90.9 μg L^-1 (pH 5.5) and 126.7 μg L^-1 (pH 7.0), which is 58.5% and 30.2% lower than that in system without LED-UV₃₆₅/PS pre-oxidation. Meanwhile, a higher maximum value of total DBP concentration was obtained at pH 8.5 (445.6 μg L^-1) following LED-UV₃₆₅/PS pre-oxidation. The results of economy evaluation showed that UV₃₆₅ was more cost-effective in application for organic contaminant removal compared with UV₂₅₄.

Photocatalytic ozonation of offshore produced water by TiO2 nanotube arrays coupled with UV-LED irradiation

Offshore produced water (OPW) containing hazardous substances such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) needs to be treated prior to discharge. This study integrated a photocatalytic ozonation system with TiO₂ nanotube arrays (TNA) and UV-light-emitted diode (UV-LED) irradiation and applied to treat OPW. Experimental and modeling efforts were made to evaluate the degradation efficiencies of PAHs, examine the behaviors of the OPW composition (e.g., phenols, iodide, and bromide), and investigate the oxidation intermediates and the associated toxicity and biodegradability. The results indicated that ozone significantly enhanced the oxidation rates and removed the PAHs within 30 min, while the TNA showed strong photocatalytic capability. In the early stage, iodide was a strong ozone competitor, accelerating phenol degradation but inhibiting PAH oxidation, whereas UV-LED fortified the effect. The degradation of aromatics was altered by iodide and bromide at different stages. The contributions of four toxicants to the acute toxicity of OPW were quantified and ranked (PAHs > bromoform > phenols > dibromopentane). The EC₅₀ value increased from 3 % to 57 %, and the biodegradability was doubled with less footprint in 28-day biodegradation tests. Overall, it is recommended to sequentially oxidize the matrix of OPW by ozonation and PAHs by the UV-LED/TNA/ozone system.

Cobalt doped iron oxychloride as efficient heterogeneous Fenton catalyst for degradation of paracetamol and phenacetin

Cobalt doped iron oxychloride (Co-FeOCl) was synthesized and employed as catalyst in Fenton degradation of paracetamol (APAP) and phenacetin (PNCT) for the first time. The catalytic performance was evaluated by means of various parameters including catalyst load, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) dose and pH value. The high removal of APAP (87.5%) and PNCT (76.0%) was obtained under conditions of 0.2 g/L Co-FeOCl and 0.5 mM H₂O₂ at pH 7.0, with calculated pseudo-first order kinetic constants of 0.031 min^-1 for APAP and 0.023 min^-1 for PNCT. Particularly, quenching tests and in situ electron spin resonance (ESR) tests were employed for the identification of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) in system. Hydroxyl radical (·OH) and superoxide radical (O₂^-·) were the primary ROS in Co-FeOCl/H₂O₂ system. A possible mechanism for H₂O₂ activation by Co-FeOCl catalyst was proposed as well. Finally, the formation of typical disinfection by-products (DBPs) decreased slightly in Co-FeOCl/H₂O₂ pre-oxidation. However, stability and reusability of Co-FeOCl were deactivated in the consecutive three cycles.

Efficiency of pre-oxidation of natural organic matter for the mitigation of disinfection byproducts: Electron donating capacity and UV absorbance as surrogate parameters

Pre-oxidation is often used before disinfection with chlorine to decrease the reactivity of the water matrix and mitigate the formation of regulated disinfection byproducts (DBPs). This study provides insights on the impact of oxidative pre-treatment with chlorine dioxide (ClO₂), ozone (O₃), ferrate (Fe(VI)) and permanganate (Mn(VII)) on Suwannee River Natural Organic Matter (SRNOM) properties characterized by the UV absorbance at 254 nm (UV₂₅₄) and the electron donating capacity (EDC). Changes in NOM reactivity and abatement of DBP precursors are also assessed. The impact of pre-oxidants (based on molar concentration) on UV₂₅₄ abatement ranked in the order O₃ > Mn(VII) > Fe(VI)/ClO₂, while the efficiency of pre-oxidation on EDC abatement followed the order Mn(VII) > ClO₂ > Fe(VI) > O₃ and two phases were observed. At low specific ClO₂, Fe(VI) and Mn(VII) doses corresponding to < 50% EDC abatement, a limited relative abatement of UV₂₅₄ compared to the EDC was observed (~ 8% EDC abatement per 1% UV₂₅₄ abatement). This suggests the oxidation of phenolic-type moieties to quinone-type moieties which absorb UV₂₅₄ and don't contribute to EDC. At higher oxidant doses (> 50% EDC abatement), a similar abatement of EDC and UV₂₅₄ (~ 0.9-1.2% EDC abatement per 1% UV₂₅₄ abatement) suggested aromatic ring cleavage. In comparison to the other oxidants, O₃ abated the relative UV₂₅₄ more effectively, due to a more efficient cleavage of aromatic rings. For a pre-oxidation with Mn(VII), ClO₂ and Fe(VI), similar correlations between the EDC abatement and the chlorine demand or the adsorbable organic halide (AOX) formation were obtained. In contrast, O₃ pre-treatment led to a lower chlorine demand and AOX formation for equivalent EDC abatement. For all oxidants_, trihalomethane formation was poorly correlated with both EDC and UV_254. The EDC abatement was found to be a pre-oxidant-independent surrogate for haloacetonitrile formation. These results emphasize the benefits of combining EDC and UV₂₅₄ measurement to understand and monitor oxidant-induced changes of NOM and assessing DBP formation.

Controlling disinfection byproducts from treated wastewater using adsorption with granular activated carbon: Impact of pre-ozonation and pre-chlorination

This study measured chlorine- and chloramine-reactive precursors using formation potential (FP) tests of nine U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulated and 57 unregulated disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in tertiary-filtered wastewater before and after pilot-scale granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption. Using breakthrough of precursor concentration and of concentration associated calculated cytotoxicity and genotoxicity (by correlating known lethal concentrations reported elsewhere), the performance of three parallel GAC treatment trains were compared against tertiary-filtered wastewater: ozone/GAC, chlorine/GAC, and GAC alone. Results show GAC alone was the primary process, versus ozone or chlorine alone, to remove the largest fraction of total chlorine- and chloramine-reactive DBP precursors and calculated cytotoxicity and genotoxicity potencies. GAC with pre-ozonation removed the most chlorine- and chloramine-reactive DBP precursors followed by GAC with pre-chlorination and lastly GAC without pre-treatment. GAC with pre-ozonation produced an effluent with cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of DBPs from FP that generally matched that of GAC without pre-oxidation; meanwhile removal of toxicity was greater by GAC with pre-chlorination. The cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of DBPs from FP tests did not scale with DBP concentration; for example, more than 90% of the calculated cytotoxicity resulted from 20% of the DBPs, principally from haloacetaldehydes, haloacetamides, and haloacetonitriles. The calculated cytotoxicity and genotoxicity from DBPs associated with FP-chloramination were at times higher than with FP-chlorination though the concentration of DBPs was five times higher with FP-chlorination. The removal of DBP precursors using GAC based treatment was at least as effective as removal of DOC (except for halonitromethanes for GAC without pre-oxidation and with pre-chlorination), indicating DOC can be used as an indicator for DBP precursor adsorption efficacy. However, the DOC was not a good surrogate for total cytotoxicity and genotoxicity breakthrough behavior, therefore, unregulated DBPs could have negative health implications that are disconnected from general water quality parameters, such as DOC, and regulated classes of DBPs. Instead, cytotoxicity and genotoxicity correlate with the concentration of specific classes of unregulated DBPs.

Anti-inflammatory drugs degradation during LED-UV365 photolysis of free chlorine: roles of reactive oxidative species and formation of disinfection by-products

Light-emitting diode (LED) is environmentally friendly with longer life compared with traditionally mercury lamps. This study investigated the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)- phenacetin (PNT) and acetaminophen (ACT)- removal during LED-UV (365 nm) photolysis of free available chlorine (FAC). Degradation of PNT and ACT during LED-UV₃₆₅/FAC treatment at pH 5.5-8.5 followed the pseudo-first order kinetics. The presence of hydroxyl radicals (·OH), reactive chlorine species (RCS), and ozone (O₃, transformed from O (³P)) were screened by using scavengers of ethanol (EtOH), tert-Butanol (TBA), and 3-buten-2ol, and 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine (TEMP), and quantified by competition kinetics with probing compounds of nitrobenzene (NB), benzoate acid (BA), 1,4-dimethoxybenzene (DMOB). Higher pH would lead to decrease of ·OH contribution and an increase of FAC contribution to PNT and ACT degradation. It has been determined that the contribution of O₃ to degradation of PNT and ACT was less than 5% for all pHs, and O³(P) reacts toward EtOH with second-order constant of 1.52 × 10⁹ M^-1s^-1. LED-UV₃₆₅/FAC system reduced the formation of five typical CX₃-R type disinfection by-products (DBPs) as well as the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of water samples at pH 5.5 and 8.5, compared with FAC alone. The decrease of DBPs formation resulted from fast FAC decomposition upon LED-UV₃₆₅ irradiation. A feasible reaction pathway of DBPs formation in the LED-UV₃₆₅/FAC system was examined with density functional theory (DFT). For FAC decay during LED-UV₃₆₅/FAC with effluent from wastewater, the residual FAC in 15 min was 0.8 mg/L (lower than limit of 0.2 mg/L) once initial FAC was 2.0 mg/L. The results indicate that more tests on the balance of target pollutant removal efficiency, residual FAC and cost should be explored in LED-UV₃₆₅/FAC system for application.

Formation of disinfection by-products from coexisting organic matter during vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) or ultraviolet (UV) treatment following pre-chlorination and their fates after post-chlorination

Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) treatment is a promising advanced oxidation process for the removal of organic contaminants during water treatment. Here, we investigated the formation of disinfection by-products from coexisting organic matter during VUV or ultraviolet (UV) treatment following pre-chlorination, and their fates after post-chlorination, in a standard Suwannee River humic acid water and a natural lake water. VUV treatment after pre-chlorination decreased the total trihalomethane (THM) concentration but increased total aldehyde and chloral hydrate concentrations; total haloacetic acid (HAA) and haloacetonitrile (HAN) concentrations did not change. UV treatment after pre-chlorination produced similar changes in the by-products as those observed for VUV treatment, with the exception that the total THM concentration was not changed, and the total HAN concentration was increased. The final concentrations of by-products after post-chlorination were increased by VUV or UV treatment, except for the total HAA concentration, which remained unchanged after UV treatment. The increases were greater after VUV treatment than after UV treatment, probably because the larger amount of hydroxyl radicals generated during VUV treatment compared with during UV treatment transformed coexisting organic matter into precursors of by-products that were then converted to by-products during post-chlorination.

Kinetic mechanism of ozone activated peroxymonosulfate system for enhanced removal of anti-inflammatory drugs

Peroxymonosulfate (PMS) was employed as an activator of ozone (O₃) to degrade non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (aspirin (ASA) and phenacetin (PNT)) in study. The combination of PMS in O₃ system promoted the O₃ decomposition and NSAIDs removal significantly. O₃ molecule, hydroxyl radical (OH) and sulfate radical (SO₄^-) were responsible for the removal of target pollutants in O₃/PMS system. The second-rate constants between O₃, OH and SO₄^- with ASA were determined to be 7.32, 4.18 × 10⁹ and 3.46 × 10⁸ M^-1·s^-1, and 37.3, 4.99 × 10⁹ and 5.64 × 10⁸ M^-1·s^-1 for PNT, respectively. The pattern of pollutant removal and contributions of oxidative species were fitted by experiments and two models. Nevertheless, the wide variety of two models suggested that a comprehensive model for O₃/PMS based on a first-principles approach was not yet possible, due to the number of radicals and subsequent chain reaction, such as SO₅^- or O₃^-. In addition, the formation of five typical CX₃R -type disinfection by products was evaluated from post‑chlorine tests and theoretically calculation by frontier electron density calculation. The calculated toxicity of typical CX₃R -type DBPs was found to decrease with the increase of pH. The results of this study provide a basis for exploring the mechanism of pollutant degradation in O₃ system.

Ammonia-Mediated Bromate Inhibition during Ozonation Promotes the Toxicity Due to Organic Byproduct Transformation

Ammonia (NH₄⁺) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) have been widely used to inhibit bromate formation during ozonation. However, organic byproducts can also pose a risk under these conditions. During bromate inhibition, the influence of NH₄⁺ and H₂O₂ on organic byproducts and their toxicity should be elucidated. Our study found that NH₄⁺ suppressed organic bromine, but might result in increased toxicity. Adding 0.5 mg/L of NH₄⁺-N substantially increased both the formation of cytotoxicity and genotoxicity (DNA double-strand breaks) of organic byproducts from 0.6 to 1.6 mg-phenol/L, and from 0.3 to 0.8 μg-4-NQO/L (0.5 mg/L Br^-, 5 mg/L O₃). NH₄⁺ decreased bromate, but increased the overall toxicity of the integrated byproducts (organic byproducts and bromate). Organic nitrogen measurements and ¹⁵N isotope analysis showed enhanced incorporation of nitrogen into organic matter when NH₄⁺ and Br^- coexisted during ozonation. NH₄⁺ decreased the formation of brominated acetonitriles, but enhanced the formation of brominated nitromethanes and brominated acetamides. These brominated nitrogenous byproducts were partially responsible for this increase in toxicity. Different from ammonia, H₂O₂ could reduce both bromate and the toxicity of organic byproducts. In the presence of 0.5 mg/L Br^- and 10 mg/L O₃, adding H₂O₂ (0.5 mM) substantially suppressed bromate, cytotoxicity formation and genotoxicity formation by 88%, 63% and 67%. This study highlights that focusing on bromate control with NH₄⁺ addition might result in higher toxicity. Efforts are needed to effectively control the toxicities of bromate and organic byproducts simultaneously.

A review on the application of ozonation to NF/RO concentrate for municipal wastewater reclamation

Nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) technology have gained worldwide acceptance for reclamation of municipal wastewater due to their excellent efficiencies in rejecting a wide spectrum of organic pollutants, bacteria, dissolved organic matters and inorganic salts. However, the application of NF/RO process produces inevitably a large volume of concentrated waste stream (NF/RO concentrate), which is generally characterised by high levels of inorganic and organic substances, a low biodegradation and potential ecotoxicity. At present, one of the most significant concerns for this process is regarding the sustainable management of municipal NF/RO concentrate, due to a potentially serious threat to water receiving body. It should therefore be further disposed or treated by effective technologies such as ozonation in a cost-effective way, aiming to minimize the potential environmental risk associated with the presence of emerging micropollutants (ng L^-1 - μg L^-1). This paper provides an overview on the disposal of NF/RO concentrate from municipal wastewater by ozonation process. This is a first review to present entirely ozonation efficiency of NF/RO concentrate in terms of elimination of emerging micropollutants, degradation of organic matters, as well as toxicity assessment. In addition, ozone combining biological activated carbon (BAC) or other advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) is also discussed, aiming to further improve mineralization of ozone-recalcitrant substances in NF/RO concentrate. Finally, further research directions regarding the management of NF/RO concentrate are proposed.

Characterization of organic matter by HRMS in surface waters: Effects of chlorination on molecular fingerprints and correlation with DBP formation potential

In order to understand and minimize the formation of halogenated disinfection by-products (DBPs), it is important to investigate how dissolved organic matter (DOM) contributes to their generation. In the present study, we analysed the DOM profile of water samples from the Barcelona catchment area by high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and we studied the changes after chlorination. Chlorination produced significant changes in the DOM, decreased the average m/z and Kendrick mass defect (KMD) of their spectra and decreased the number and abundance of lignin-like features. The Van Krevelen (VK) fingerprint exhibited several noticeable changes, including the appearance of highly oxidized peaks in the tannin-like region (average O/C, 0.78 ± 0.08), the appearance of features with low H/C and the disappearance of more than half of the lipids-like features. Up to 657 halogenated peaks were generated during sample chlorination, most of which in the condensed hydrocarbons-like and the lignin-like region of the VK diagram. Around 200 features were found to be strongly correlated (ρ ≥ 0.795) to the formation potential of trihalomethanes (THMs) and 5 were correlated with the formation potential of haloacetonitrile (HANs). They all were plotted in the lignin fraction of the VK diagram, but both groups of features exhibited different nitrogen content: those features related to HANs FP had at least one nitrogen atoms in their structures, whilst those related to THMs did not.

Ozonation mechanism of carbamazepine and ketoprofen in RO concentrate from municipal wastewater treatment: Kinetic regimes, removal efficiency and matrix effect

A relatively important disadvantage of reverse osmosis (RO) application to municipal wastewater reclamation is related to management of a concentrated waste stream containing high levels of organic contaminants. The present study investigated ozonation performance of RO concentrate from municipal wastewater treatment in a stirred semi-batch reactor. In this work, carbamazepine (CBZ, as a representative of ozone-reactive micropollutants) and ketoprofen (KET, one of ozone-resistant organic chemicals) were selected as target micropollutants. The absence of dissolved ozone within the first 60 min corresponding to initial ozone demand (IOD) complement suggested that chemical reactions took place quite fast, and ozone mass transfer was considered as a limiting step. A complete elimination of CBZ and an excellent removal of KET were observed in this period, indicating that molecular ozone was a dominated oxidant responsible for the decomposition of the target micropollutants in RO concentrate containing initial dissolved organic carbon (DOC₀, ~50.8 mg L^-1). >90% of ozone-reactive CBZ was eliminated at a low ozone dose of 0.33 g consumed ozone per g DOC₀. More ozone dose requirement for an equivalent removal of KET was ascribed to its low ozone kinetic rate constant below 10 L mol^-1 s^-1. In addition, the presence of high contents of organic matters and alkalinity in RO concentrate exhibited pronounced effects on the degradation of KET because of a competition with oxidants. Overall, ozonation appeared to be a promising alternative for disposal of RO concentrate in terms of micropollutant removal. However, additional technologies should be followed to further enhance the degradation rate of organic matters for a zero liquid discharge treatment scheme.

Formation potential of emerging disinfection by-products during ozonation and chlorination of sewage effluents

This study investigates the formation potential of emerging DBPs (haloacetonitriles, halonitromethanes and halopropanones) during ozonation and ozonation/hydrogen peroxide treatment and subsequent chlorination of sewage effluent under various experimental conditions. Estimation of possible risk due to DBPs by calculation of cytotoxicity and genotoxicity was attempted. The studied DBPs showed different formation behavior during chlorination, with maximum yields within 0.5-48 h. Maximum cytotoxicity and genotoxicity was observed after 4 h of chlorination with dibromoacetonitrile being the major contributor. Ozonation and O₃/H₂O₂ treatment resulted in increase of trichloronitromethane followed by a decline at higher doses, and reduction of haloacetonitriles. High ozone doses reduced cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of treated effluents. The presence of bromide shifted to bromo-DBPs formation and enhanced both cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. Particulate fraction in effluents significantly contributed to the formation of DBPs and consequently to the their toxicity.

Ozone combined with ceramic membranes for water treatment: Impact on HO radical formation and mitigation of bromate

The beneficial effect of combining ozone with ceramic membrane filtration (CMF) to enhance membrane flux performances during water treatment (e.g., wastewater and drinking water) could be related to the formation of hydroxyl (HO) radicals from the interaction of ozone with ceramic membrane. To explore this effect, para-chlorobenzoic acid was used to probe HO radical activity during a combined ozone/CMF process using a 0.1 μm pore size membrane supplied by Metawater, Japan. Tests were then extended to explore the impact on bromate formation downstream CMF, a well-known undesirable by-product from ozone use in water treatment. Ozone reduction by the membrane and its module appeared to be more associated with physical degassing, but a noticeable formation of HO radicals was observed during the interaction of ozone with the ceramic membrane. CMF treatment of ozonated potable water containing bromide showed a reduced bromate formation of 50% when the water was recirculated to the filtration module containing the ceramic membrane, compared to the experiment performed with an empty module. Single pass experiments showed bromate mitigation of around 10%. The mitigation of bromate formation was attributed to reduced overall ozone exposure by deagassing effect, but also potentially from suppression of the oxidation of Br^- and HOBr/BrO^- to BrO₃^- due to the catalytic degradation of ozone via a HO radical pathway.

Occurrence of Free Amino Acids in the Source Waters of Zhejiang Province, China, and Their Removal and Transformation in Drinking Water Systems

Free amino acids (FAAs) are key components of the global nitrogen cycle and important disinfection byproduct (DBP) precursors. The knowledge gap of FAA occurrence in source and engineered water is discussed in this paper. Solid phase extraction and post column derivatization was combined with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry to simultaneously detect μg/L concentrations of FAAs. This method efficiently detects alanine (Ala), threonine (Thr), serine (Ser), valine (Val), leucine (Leu), isoleucine (Ile), proline (Pro), aspartic (Asp), phenylalanine (Phe), and glutamic acid (Glu) with good linearity, accuracy, and precision. An investigation of FAAs in surface waters in Zhejiang Province found concentrations of 1.48–14.73 μg/L Ala, 0.20–2.39 μg/L Thr, 0.41–7.84 μg/L Val, 0.21–6.86 μg/L Ser, 0.11–4.16 μg/L Leu, 0.57–1.54 μg/L Ile, 0.24–8.06 μg/L Pro, 0.42–4.73 μg/L Asp, 0.30–3.01 μg/L Phe, and 0.12–3.83 μg/L Glu. Phe and tyrosine (Tyr) exhibited higher trichloromethane (TCM) formation (1029–1148 μg/mmolAA) than dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN) formation (333–347 μg/mmolAA). Asp and Glu demonstrated the opposite trend: higher DCAN (570–1106 μg/mmolAA) formation than TCM (137–506 μg/mmolAA).

Occurrence and spatio-temporal variability of halogenated acetaldehydes in full-scale drinking water systems

As the third largest group of identified disinfection by-products (DBPs) by weight, halogenated acetaldehydes (HALs), were monitored for one year at numerous locations in two full-scale drinking water systems applying an ozone-chlorine sequential disinfection strategy. The HALs that were targeted included four trihalogenated acetaldehydes (THALs): chloral hydrate (CH), bromodichloroacetaldehyde (BDCAL), dibromochloroacetaldehyde (DBCAL) and tribromoacetaldehyde (TBAL). Three dihalogenated acetaldehydes (DHALs) were also included: dichloroacetaldehyde (DCAL), bromochloroacetaldehyde (BCAL) and dibromoacetaldehyde(DBAL). In addition to various sampling points in two distribution networks, this study also investigated the formation of HALs during water treatment and for the first time, reports the formation of DBAL before chlorine is applied. Low bromide levels in source waters from both systems resulted in the rare detection of DBAL and TBAL. CH accounted for >50% of total HALs (HAL7) with DHALs accounting for as little as 10% of HAL7, presumably due to the use of ozone-chlorine instead of ozone-chloramine. In the presence of chlorine residuals and with increasing water residence times, most HALs continued to form, more readily in warm water than in cold water. However, the spatial and temporal patterns for each HAL differed depending on speciation (THAL vs. DHAL) and water temperature. Compared to the relatively stable bromine incorporation factor (BIF) of THMs in the distribution systems, the decreasing BIFs of HALs according to water residence time increases suggested that bromine-containing THMs are more stable than their corresponding HALs. Re-chlorination at the extremities of the distribution networks demonstrated a significant impact on the occurrence and speciation of DBPs. In both full-scale systems, water temperature was shown to be the biggest contributing factor to HAL formation. The strong correlations between THM levels and THAL levels make it possible to predict the occurrence of THALs based on THMs.

Toxicity of chlorinated and ozonated wastewater effluents probed by genetically modified bioluminescent bacteria and cyanobacteria Spirulina sp

Chlorination and ozonation of various waters may be associated with the formation of toxic disinfection byproducts (DBPs) and cause health risks to humans. Monitoring the toxicity of chlorinated and ozonated water and identification of different toxicity mechanisms are therefore required. This study is one of its kind to examine the toxic effects of chlorinated and ozonated wastewater effluents on three genetically modified bioluminescent bacteria, in comparison to the naturally isolated cyanobacteria, Spirulina strains as test systems. Three different secondary wastewater effluents were collected from treatment plants, chlorinated using sodium hypochlorite (at 1 and 10 mg L^-1 of chlorine) or treated using 3-4 mg L^-1 of ozone at different contact times. As compared to cyanobacterial Spirulina sp., the genetically modified bacteria enhancing bioluminescence at the presence of stress agents demonstrated greater sensitivity to the toxicity induction and have also provided mechanism-specific responses associated with genotoxicity, cytotoxicity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in wastewater effluents. Effects of effluent chlorination time and chlorine concentration revealed by means of bioluminescent bacteria suggest the formation of genotoxic and cytotoxic DBPs followed with their possible disappearance at longer times. Ozonation could degrade genotoxic compounds in some effluents, but the cytotoxic potential of wastewater effluents may certainly increase with ozonation time. No induction of ROS-related toxicity was detected in either chlorinated or ozonated wastewater effluents. UV absorbance- and fluorescence emission-based spectroscopic characteristics may be variously correlated with changes in genotoxicity in ozonated effluents, however, no associations were obtained in chlorinated wastewater effluents. The bacterial response to the developed mechanism-specific toxicity differs among wastewater effluents, reflecting variability in effluent compositions.

Oxidation byproducts from the degradation of dissolved organic matter by advanced oxidation processes - A critical review

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been increasingly used for the treatment of source waters and wastewaters. AOPs characteristically produce oxidation byproducts (OBPs) from the partial degradation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and/or the transformation of inorganic ions (especially, halides) into highly toxic substances including bromate and halogenated organic OBPs (X-OBPs). However, despite the enormous health and environmental risks posed by X-OBPs, an integral understanding of the complex OBP formation mechanisms during AOPs is lacking, which limits the development of safe and effective AOP-based water treatment schemes. The present critical and comprehensive review was intended to fill in this important knowledge gap. The study shows, contrary to the hitherto prevailing opinion, that the direct incorporation of halide atoms (X^•) into DOM makes an insignificant contribution to the formation of organic X-OBPs. The principal halogenating agent is hypohalous acid/hypohalite (HOX/XO^-), whose control is, therefore, critical to the reduction of both organic and inorganic X-OBPs. Significant generation of X-OBPs has been observed during sulfate radical AOPs (SR-AOPs), which arises principally from the oxidizing effects of the unactivated oxidant and/or the applied catalytic activator rather than the sulfate radical as is commonly held. A high organic carbon/X^- molar ratio (>5), an effective non-catalytic activator such as UV or Fe²⁺, a low oxidant concentration, and short treatment time are suggested to limit the accumulation of HOX/XO^- and, thus, the generation of X-OBPs during SR-AOPs. At present, there are no established techniques to prevent the formation of X-OBPs during UV/chlor(am)ine AOPs because the maintenance of substantial amounts of active halogen is essential to these processes. The findings and conclusions reached in this review would advance the research and application of AOPs.

Magnetic Fe3O4/multi-walled carbon nanotubes materials for a highly efficient depletion of diclofenac by catalytic wet peroxideoxidation

The aim of this work is to synthesize a magnetic magnetite/multi-walled carbon nanotube (Fe₃O₄/MWCNT) catalyst by a method combining co-precipitation and hydrothermal treatments for the efficient removal of diclofenac (DCF) by catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO). The support (MWCNTs) shows a moderate-large surface area and good adsorption capacity, leading to the improvement of the magnetite (Fe₃O₄) dispersion on its surface. The response surface methodology (RSM) was applied in order to find out the effect of the reaction parameters on DCF removal, allowing to establish the optimum operating conditions (T = 60 °C, [H₂O₂]₀ = 2.7 mM, [catalyst] = 1.0 g L^-1). The optimum CWPO experiment showed an outstanding catalytic activity at non-modified pH solution (6.7), obtaining a 95% of DCF removal after 3 h reaction time; this high efficiency can be attributed to the synergistic effect of the iron-based catalyst with the high quantity of ^•OH radicals generated on the surface of the catalyst. In addition, the Fe₃O₄/MWCNT material exhibited good reusability along three consecutive reaction cycles, finding a pollutant removal close to 95% in each cycle of 3 h reaction time. Additionally, a degradation mechanism pathway was proposed for the removal of DCF by CWPO. The versatility of the material was finally demonstrated in the treatment of different environmentally relevant aqueous matrices (a wastewater treatment plant effluent, surface water, and hospital wastewater), obtaining an effective reduction in the ecotoxicity values.

Molecular characteristics of dissolved organic matter transformed by O3 and O3/H2O2 treatments and the effects on formation of unknown disinfection by-products

We investigated semiquantitative changes in almost 1000 dissolved organic matter (DOM) features during oxidation with 1 mg of O₃ per liter (mg O₃/L), 4 mg O₃/L, or 4 mg O₃/L + 2.5 mg of H₂O₂ per liter (advanced oxidation process, AOP) by unknown screening analysis with Orbitrap mass spectrometry. The consequential effects on formation of unknown disinfection by-products (DBPs) by chlorination were evaluated in laboratory-scale experiments. Several hundred unsaturated DOM features with positive oxygen-subtracted double bond equivalents per carbon ((DBE-O)/C) were decomposed by the ozone-only treatment and AOP. The AOP decomposed some saturated (negative (DBE-O)/C)) and reduced molecules, which had negative carbon oxidation states (C_os). Several hundred saturated oxidation by-products were detected after ozonation and the AOP. After chlorination, the samples pre-treated with ozone alone resulted in higher formation of unknown DBPs than the AOP pre-treated sample or the sample without oxidation. Over half of the DBP precursors, estimated by electrophilic substitution, were not totally decomposed by any oxidation process, but they were increased after the ozone-only process and AOP. DBP precursors produced by the ozone-only process or AOP formed unique unknown DBPs. Therefore, post-treatment processes after oxidation and before chlorination are important to minimize formation of unknown DBPs.

The beneficial effect of cathodic hydrogen peroxide generation on mitigating chlorinated by-product formation during water treatment by an electro-peroxone process

The formation of chlorinated by-products is a major concern associated with electrochemical water treatment processes. This study investigated the formation of chlorinated by-products during surface water treatment by a newly developed electrochemical advanced oxidation process (EAOP), the electro-peroxone (E-peroxone) process, which couples ozonation with in situ electro-generation of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) from cathodic oxygen reduction. Due to the enhanced ozone (O₃) conversion to hydroxyl radicals (•OH) by electro-generated H₂O₂, the E-peroxone process considerably accelerated the abatement of ozone-refractory micropollutants such as clofibric acid and chloramphenicol in the selected surface water compared to conventional ozonation. In addition, the cathodically generated H₂O₂ effectively quenched hypochlorous acid (HOCl) derived from the anodic oxidation of chloride in the surface water. Therefore, the formation of trichloromethane (TCM) and chloroacetic acids (CAAs) from the reactions of HOCl with dissolved organic matter (DOM) was insignificant during the E-peroxone process, and similar levels of TCM and CAAs were generally observed in the conventional ozonation and E-peroxone treated water. In contrast, considerable amounts of HOCl could be generated from the anodic oxidation of chloride and then accumulated in the surface water during conventional electrolysis process, which resulted in significantly higher concentrations of TCM and CAAs in the electrolysis treated water. The results of this study suggest that the E-peroxone process can overcome the major limitation of conventional electrochemical processes and provide an effective and safe EAOP alternative for micropollutant abatement during water treatment.

Effects of the inclusion of biological activated carbon on membrane fouling in combined process of ozonation, coagulation and ceramic membrane filtration for water reclamation

We investigated the effects of the inclusion of biological activated carbon (BAC) on membrane fouling in combined process of ozonation, coagulation and ceramic membrane filtration (O₃ + PACl + CMF) for treating secondary effluent. Inclusion of BAC between ozonation and coagulation reduced membrane permeability. The normalized flux decreased to 90% of the initial value after 305 h of operation in O₃ + PACl + CMF, while it decreased to 20% in combined process of ozonation, BAC, coagulation and ceramic membrane filtration. BAC not only decreased residual ozone that is helpful to mitigate ceramic membrane fouling, but also released microorganisms. In addition, BAC doubled the integrated fluorescence intensity of soluble microbial products (SMP), which cause irreversible fouling. The SMP produced and accumulated by microorganisms on the BAC bed likely flowed into the BAC effluent with the microorganisms. The proportion of SMP in the extracted foulant increased from 25% without BAC to 31% with BAC. Moreover, the inclusion of BAC nearly doubled the concentration of protein in the extracted foulant to 13 g/m² and quadrupled that of carbohydrate to 6 g/m². BAC was effective in improving the quality of ceramic membrane permeates and reducing health risk associated with formaldehyde and N-nitrosodimethylamine. However, the release of SMP from BAC accelerated membrane fouling in subsequent ceramic membrane filtration.

Improved DBP elimination from swimming pool water by continuous combined UV and ozone treatment

Chlorine is the most frequently used disinfectant and oxidant for maintaining swimming pool water quality; however, it reacts continuously with dissolved organic matter to produce disinfection by-products (DBPs), which are a health risk for pool users. UV treatment is used widely to remove chloramines, which are the most prevalent group of DBPs, albeit chloro-organic DBP concentrations often increase during post-UV chlorination. In this work, UV and ozone treatments were investigated as additional technologies to eliminate DBP formation and their precursors. Batch experiments were conducted under controlled conditions, using realistic UV and ozone dosages and real pool water samples collected from a public swimming pool. A gradual increase in all investigated DBP concentrations and predicted toxicity was observed during chlorination after repeated UV treatments, and concentrations of certain DBPs also increased during post-ozone chlorination. Based on ozone and chlorine's similar reactivity, ozone was used directly after UV treatment to decrease the induction of DBP formation. Most DBP concentrations decreased during repeated combined treatments. It was also observed that DBP formed by post-ozone chlorination was removed by photolysis, thereby indicating synergy between the treatments. Repeated treatments using realistic UV and ozone dosages predicted that water quality will improve as a result of continuous combined UV and ozone treatments.

The effect on ozone catalytic performance of prepared-FeOOH by different precursors

In this study, different precursors were used to prepare FeOOH and the ozonation catalytic activity was s investigate by using ibuprofen as the degradation substrate. It could be found that FeOOH prepared from ferric sulfate performed higher activity. Subsequently, the catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, scanning electron microscope and N₂ adsorption-desorption techniques. X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer showed that the synthesized FeOOH consisted of α-FeOOH and β-FeOOH mainly. Scanning electron microscope showed that their appearance and morphology were significantly different, and the FeOOH prepared from ferric sulfate had a larger specific surface area, resulting in its better catalytic activity. Finally, the hydroxyl groups and pH_zpc of the catalyst surface were measured. It was also found that the FeOOH prepared from ferric sulfate owned more hydroxyl groups and the pH_zpc of the surface was closer to the pH of the degradation substrate, which illustrated the reasons for the increased catalytic activity. In addition, the degradation kinetics conformed to the pseudo first-order kinetic model and the hydroxyl radicals played an important role in the reaction process.

Characterization of disinfection byproduct formation and associated changes to dissolved organic matter during solar photolysis of free available chlorine

Solar irradiation of chlorine-containing waters enhances inactivation of chlorine-resistant pathogens (e.g., Cryptosporidium oocysts), through in situ formation of ozone, hydroxyl radical, and other reactive species during photolysis of free available chlorine (FAC) at UVB-UVA wavelengths of solar light (290-400 nm). However, corresponding effects on regulated disinfection byproduct (DBP) formation and associated dissolved organic matter (DOM) properties remain unclear. In this work, when compared to dark chlorination, sunlight-driven FAC photolysis over a range of conditions was found to yield higher DBP levels, depletion of DOM chromophores and fluorophores, preferential removal of phenolic groups versus carboxylic acid groups, and degradation of larger humic substances to smaller molecular weight compounds. Control experiments showed that increased DBP levels were not due to direct DOM photolysis and subsequent dark reactions with FAC, but to co-exposure of DOM to FAC and reactive species (e.g., O₃, HO^•, Cl^•, Cl₂^•-, ClO^•) generated by FAC photolysis. Because solar chlorine photolysis can enable inactivation of chlorine-resistant pathogens at far lower CT_FAC values than chlorination alone, the increases in DBP formation inherent to this approach can likely be offset to some extent by the ability to operate at significantly decreased CT_FAC. Nonetheless, these findings demonstrate that applications of solar chlorine photolysis will require careful attention to potential impacts on DBP formation.