Enhanced Degradation of Pharmaceutical Compounds by a Microbubble Ozonation Process: Effects of Temperature, pH, and Humic Acids

Yong-Gu Lee, Yongeun Park, Gwanghee Lee, Yeongkwan Kim and Kangmin Chon
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Yong-Gu Lee: Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Kangwon National University, 1 Kangwondaehak-gil, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do 24341, Korea
Yongeun Park: School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Korea
Gwanghee Lee: Haesung Engineering Inc., Heungdeok IT Valley B-709, 13, Heungdeok 1-ro, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 16954, Korea
Yeongkwan Kim: Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Kangwon National University, 1 Kangwondaehak-gil, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do 24341, Korea
Kangmin Chon: Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Kangwon National University, 1 Kangwondaehak-gil, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do 24341, Korea

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 22, 1-11

Abstract: This study systematically investigated the feasibility of the microbubble ozonation process to degrade the 17α-ethinylestradiol, ibuprofen, and atenolol through the comparison with the millibubble ozonation process for elucidating the degradation behavior and mechanisms during the microbubble ozonation processes. The proportions of small microbubbles (diameter 1–25 μm) were increased with increasing the cavity pump frequency (40 Hz: 51.4%; 50 Hz: 57.5%; 60 Hz: 59.9%). The increased concentrations of O 3 and OH radicals due to the higher specific area of O 3 microbubbles compared to O 3 millibubbles could facilitate their mass transfer at the gas–water interface. Furthermore, the elevated reactivity of O 3 by increasing the temperature might improve the degradation of the pharmaceutical compounds, which was more pronounced for the microbubble ozonated waters than the millibubble ozonated waters. Although the degradation efficiency of the pharmaceutical compounds during the microbubble ozonation processes was significantly influenced by the existence of humic acids compared to the millibubble ozonation process, the increased solubilization rate of O 3 and OH radicals by collapsing O 3 microbubbles enhanced the degradation of the pharmaceutical compounds. Overall, these results clearly showed that the microbubble ozonation process could be an alternative option to conventional ozonation processes for the abatement of the pharmaceutical compounds.

Keywords: microbubbles; millibubbles; OH radicals; ozonation; pharmaceutical compounds (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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