Occurrence and Distribution of Emerging Contaminants: Ozonolytic Removal in Aqueous Matrices

Emerging contaminants (ECs) are pollutants that can spread among different habitats of various ecosystems. They are frequently observed in the environment, and how they affect human health and other ecological components is unclear. These are classified into several classes of pharmaceuticals and personal care products, chemical fertilizers, microplastics, perfluorinated substances, and other industrial pollutants. In recent years, though the research on ECs is taking up full pace, the application aspects of those treatment methodologies in the real-time field are not up to the regulatory standards. This lacuna could be related to lacking a basic framework among the different pollutants regarding physio-chemical properties, fate, and transports in different matrices and stability. Ozonation is one of the advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) used in water treatment plants due to its strong oxidation potential among all the AOPs. However, the efficiency can be improved by coupling the ozonation process with other AOPs. The ozone oxidation process has some advantages like direct ozone bubbles do it along with hydroxyl radicals. By mineralizing the contaminants, these processes can eradicate or transform them into less hazardous substances to human health and the aquatic environment. Emerging pollutants are a significant issue for both human health and the environment. Advanced oxidation techniques like ozonation are likely crucial for advancing biodegradability and reducing pollutants. More study is required to comprehend the dangers that ECs bring and to create appropriate controls for them. In this chapter, the operational challenges and process efficiencies were evaluated and discussed for five significant pollutants: (a) pharmaceuticals and personal care products, (b) pesticides, (c) PFAS, (d) microplastics, and (e) textile dyes. The influence of process conditions and the configuration of various reactors were analyzed. The potential of scaling up to real-time applications was explored.