Kinetic modelling of aqueous atrazine ozonation processes in a continuous flow bubble contactor

The ozonation of atrazine in different waters (ultrapure and surface waters) has been studied in continuous bubble contactors with kinetic modelling purposes. Three ozonation processes have been considered: ozonation alone and combined with hydrogen peroxide or UV radiation. The kinetic models are based on a molecular and free radical mechanism of reactions, reaction rate and mass transfer data and non-ideal flow analysis models for gas and water phases through the contactors (the tanks in series model and the dispersion model). The models predict well the experimental concentrations of atrazine, dissolved ozone and hydrogen peroxide both at non-steady state and steady state regimes. From both experimental and calculated results, atrazine conversions are observed to be highly dependent on the nature of water where ozonation is carried out. As far as removal of atrazine and oxidation intermediates are concerned, ozone combined with UV radiation resulted in the most effective ozonation process among the three studied.