AWWA ACE59917

There is a need for an alternative treatment process for the removal of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) from contaminated waters. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), which involve the application of various combinations of ozone (O₃), hydrogen peroxide(H₂O₂), ultraviolet light (UV), and semi-conductors (e.g. TiO₂), provide promising treatment options. The major advantage of AOPs is attributed to hydroxyl radical (OH.) which attacks indiscriminately almost any organic compounds with very high reaction rate constants. In addition, the OH. oxidizes a wide variety of organic pollutants into innocuous intermediates and end products, as opposed to conventional treatment methods, such as activated carbon and air stripping, in which pollutants are transferred from water to another medium that may need further treatment before final disposal. The main objective of this study is to investigate application of ozone/UV process for the removal of MTBE and TBA in dilute aqueous solution under different operational conditions, i.e., ozone gas dosage, incident UV light intensity, and water quality in terms of bicarbonate concentration, and at the same time identify byproducts formed. Includes 14 references, figures.