Ozonation of lactic acid fermentation effluent

Ozonated brine, originating from the lactic acid fermentation of cabbage; contained a lower pH and greater buffering capacity than the nonozonated brine but nevertheless showed an 84 percent reduction in chemical oxygen demand (from 14,800 mg/l to 2,300 mg/l) in 3 days. The reduction was attributed to oxidative decarboxylation of lactic acid and the resulting loss primarily of acetaldehyde and carbon dioxide. This treatment seems to have merit as a chemical alternative to biological methods of stabilizing refractory food processing wastewater.