PROCESS FOR REDUCING THE TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON IN WASTEWATER

The present invention relates to a process for reducing the total organic carbon (TOC) in an aqueous mixture M1 obtained as wastewater from a process for the preparation of an olefin oxide, the process for reducing the TOC comprising: (a) contacting the mixture M1 which contains at least one oxygenate having from 1 to 16 carbon atoms with an adsorbing agent and adsorbing at least a portion of an oxygenate at the adsorbing agent; (b) separating an aqueous mixture M2 from the adsorbing agent, the mixture M2 being depleted of the oxygenate adsorbed in (a); and (c) separating an oxygenate from the mixture M2 obtained in (b) by subjecting the mixture M2 to reverse osmosis in at least one reverse osmosis unit containing a reverse osmosis membrane obtaining an aqueous mixture M3 being depleted of this oxygenate.