Construction of triphase interface for catalytic ozonation of polluted water

The utilization efficiency of ozone determines the cost of catalytic ozonation in water treatment. Herein, a triphase catalytic system was constructed by aerating ozone through a CeO₂ loaded Al₂O₃ ceramic membrane (CeO₂-CM) for disinfection and antibiotic degradation. Ozone aeration and a packed catalyst system (CeO₂-Packing) were set as the controls. Results showed that CeO₂-CM reduced the ozone escape by 34.6%-56.2%. The ozone utilization capacity of CeO₂-CM for E. coli inactivation was 33.1% and 33.8% higher than those of CeO₂-Packing and ozone aeration, respectively. The ozone utilization capacity of CeO₂-CM for sulfamethoxazole degradation was 88.5% and 183.1% higher than those of CeO₂-Packing and ozone aeration, respectively. CeO₂-CM, with the lowest ozone escape and highest ozone utilization efficiency, significantly enhanced the performance of catalytic ozonation in disinfection and antibiotic degradation. This work proposes a feasible strategy for minimizing ozone consumption in water treatment.