Performance characterization and kinetic modeling of ozonation using a new method: R_OH,O3 concept

Ozonation is an effective treatment for removing various organic pollutants from aquatic systems. The R_ct concept, which is defined as the ratio of [rad]OH exposure to O₃ exposure, has been widely used to predict the removal efficiency of target compounds, but it has significant variations by water temperature and initial O₃ dose which are crucial parameters in drinking water plant. The R_OH,O3 concept, which is defined as the [rad]OH exposure by O₃ consumption, was proposed as a kinetic parameter for characterization and kinetic modeling for ozonation. The R_OH,O3 concept is independent of temperature and initial O₃ dose. A higher R_OH,O3 value indicates a higher [rad]OH formation when the same amount of O₃ is consumed in different water samples; therefore, the [rad]OH yield from O₃ decomposition of the water samples can be compared using the R_OH,O3 values. The R_OH,O3 concept can also be used to characterize and model the initial ozone demand phase, and it is more convenient method compared to Rct concept. Using the R_OH,O3 concept, the dynamic O₃ and [rad]OH kinetics and the removal efficiencies of iopromide and ibuprofen were well predicted (R² = 0.98) over a wide range of experimental conditions (n = 124).