In-situ production of ozone and ultraviolet light using a barrier discharge reactor for wastewater treatment

A dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor consisting of water-filled dielectric tube electrodes was used for the treatment of wastewater. The inner dielectric tube, which acted as the discharging electrode, was filled with an aqueous electrolyte solution. The outer dielectric tube, which served as the other electrode, was in contact with the wastewater, which was grounded. The present reactor system was energy-efficient for the production of ozone, not only because the perfect contact between the aqueous electrode and the dielectric surface minimized the loss of the electrical energy, but also because the DBD reactor was cooled by the wastewater. In addition, the ultraviolet (UV) light produced in the DBD reactor was able to assist in the wastewater treatment since the quartz tube used as the dielectric material was UV-transparent. The performance of the present DBD system was evaluated using a synthetic wastewater formed from distilled water and an azo dye, amaranth. The experimental parameters were the concentration of the electrolyte in the aqueous electrode, the discharge power, the initial pH of the wastewater and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide added to the wastewater. The wastewater treatment system was found to be effective for achieving decomposition of the dye.