Modeling ozonation as pre-treatment step for the biological batch degradation of industrial wastewater containing 3-methyl-pyridine.

A heteroaromatic substance, 3-methylpyridine, as model pollutant, was degraded by ozonation bubble-column. This was the first step of a sequencing batch biofilm. reactor process (SBBR). The modeling of this batch ozonation was developed in different steps. The model included hydraulics of the reactor, chemical kinetics and effects of gas-liquid transfer processes. The crucial and most sensitive part of the model was the observed fast consumption of ozone during gas-liquid transfer reactions. Without including these processes into the model, it was impossible to explain the experimental observations. The ozone consuming processes in the gas-liquid film are not totally understood at present.