Prediction of micropollutant abatement during homogeneous catalytic ozonation by a chemical kinetic model

Prediction of micropollutant abatements by catalytic ozonation is critical for its process design and optimization in water treatment. In this study, a chemical kinetic model based on ozone (O3) and hydroxyl radical (OH) rate constants (kO3 and kOH) and O3 and OH exposures is proposed for the generalized prediction of micropollutant abatement by homogeneous catalytic ozonation. Several micropollutants with kO3 ranging from 90% during both ozonation alone and catalytic ozonation with the varying catalysts. In contrast, ozone-resistant micropollutants (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, clofibric acid, and ibuprofen) were less effectively abated during ozonation (∼40–60% abatement), and the addition of the varying catalysts could enhance their absolute abatement efficiencies to various extent (∼0–10% in the deionized water and ∼0–22% in the surface water) during catalytic ozonation. Despite the differing catalytic mechanisms of the varying transition metals, the abatement efficiencies of micropollutants by catalytic ozonation could be satisfactorily predicted by the chemical kinetic model using the O3 and OH rate constants of the micropollutants reported in literature and the O3 and OH exposures determined during the treatment processes. These results demonstrate that the chemical kinetic model can provide a useful tool for the generalized prediction of micropollutant abatement by homogeneous catalytic ozonation. [Display omitted] •Micropollutant abatement by homogeneous catalytic ozonation can be predicted using a chemical kinetic model.•Addition of catalysts during ozonation increases OH exposure at the expense of decreasing O3 exposure.•Catalytic ozonation