M. Tichonovas “Application of the advanced oxidation processes for the decomposition of the emerging water pollutants” doctoral thesis defence

Author, Institution: Martynas Tichonovas, Kaunas University of Technology

Science area, field of science: Technological Sciences, Environmental Engineering, 04T

Scientific Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Viktoras Račys (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Environmental Engineering, 04T).

Dissertation Defence Board of Environmental Engineering Field:
Prof. Dr. Arvydas Povilaitis (Aleksandras Stulginskis University, Technological Sciences, Environmental Engineering, 04T) – chairman,
Assoc. Prof. Dr. dr. Egidijus Griškonis (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Chemical Engineering, 05T),
Dr. Jūratė Kriaučiūnienė (Lithuanian Energy Institute, Technological Sciences, Environmental Engineering, 04T),
Prof. Dr. Roel J.W. Meulepas (WETSUS,  Technological Sciences, Environmental Engineering, 04T),
Prof. Dr. Mindaugas Rimeika (Vilnius Gediminas Technical University,Technological Sciences, Environmental Engineering, 04T).

The doctoral dissertation is available at the libraries of Kaunas University of Technology (K. Donelaičio St. 20, Kaunas), Aleksandras Stulginskis University (Studentų g. 11, Akademija, Kauno r.), Lithuanian Energy Institute (Breslaujos   g. 3, Kaunas) .

Annotation:

This dissertation presents attempts in the development of the Advanced Oxidation (AO) wastewater treatment reactor based on the bench scale ozone and applied for the treatment of the wastewater polluted with various hardly degradable compounds. The design includes the option of immobilized catalyst use, ultraviolet (UV) radiation source and is easily up-scalable. The highly efficient dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor and resonant high voltage power supply was used for the ozone generation. A combination of plasma/ozone with UV/visible light photocatalysis was found to be very promising to increase the effectiveness of these processes as compared to the same methods used alone. In most cases, the full degradation of pollutants as determined by the total organic carbon (TOC) value and the complete loss in the toxicity have been reached. It was proved that the AO method of plasma-UV-catalyst can be successfully applied for the treatment of wastewater containing hardly degradable organic compounds. The results provide background for the further investigations of this AO system to the industrial applications, confirming the versatility of such reactor design and the selected AO method.