Oxidation of organic impurities in the recycle and reclaim loops of ultra-pure water plants

 The oxidation of trace organic impurities in ultrapure water by ultraviolet light (UV), ozone, and the combination of UV/ozone is investigated. The emphasis is on the development of a global model to simulate the process that take place in the typical oxidation reactors used in ultrapure water plants. The study also focuses on reaction mechanism for oxidation of multi-component organic impurities. Eighteen organic model compounds are chosen as representative contaminants. The results demonstrate and confirm a significant synergistic effect between UV and ozone oxidation. A mechanism for the synergistic oxidation of organic impurities is proposed and validated with experimental data. The combination of the reaction and the reactor models is used to determine the fundamental kinetic parameters involved in the three oxidation processes. Received: 3 July 1998 / Accepted: 4 September 1998