Efficient reactive blue 19 decolorization by the comparison of ozonation membrane contacting process and Fenton oxidation

The decolorization of Reactive Blue 19 (RB 19) wastewater by an ozonation membrane contactor and Fenton oxidation was studied. The aims of the study were to investigate the affecting parameters and to compare the performance of RB 19 decolorization by two different processes. The results showed that Fe(2+) and H(2)O(2) concentrations for Fenton oxidation and ozone concentration with different membranes for the membrane contacting process played the most important roles in RB 19 decolorization. The optimum conditions for RB 19 decolorization by Fenton oxidation were initial pH 3.0, 1.5 mM H(2)O(2) and 0.25 mM Fe(2+); in contrast, the optimum conditions for the membrane contactor were initial pH 11 and 40 mg L(−1) ozone concentration. Under these conditions, the decolorization of RB 19 by the membrane contactor was almost completed and was higher than by Fenton and photo-Fenton oxidations for 90 min. The decolorizations of RB 19 by Fenton and photo-Fenton oxidations were constant after 30 min, but the decolorization of RB 19 by ozonation with a membrane contactor gradually increased via ozone consumption until 90 min operation, which was higher than that of Fenton oxidations. The use of a PVDF-PAM membrane in the membrane contactor resulted in higher decolorization efficiency than a PVDF membrane. The results demonstrated a COD removal efficiency of 63% by an ozonation membrane contacting process using PVDF-PAM, which was lower than that of Fenton oxidation (73%), but resulted in higher BOD(5)/COD and NO(3)(−) and SO(4)(2−) releases. Under these conditions, the ozonation membrane contacting process showed the lowest electric energy consumption.