DECOMPOSITION OF A MODEL NAPHTHENIC ACID, CYCLOHEXANOIC ACID BY ADVANCED OXIDATION PROCESSES

摘要

Naphthenic acids (NAs) are cycloaliphatic compounds that contribute to the toxicity of oil sands process affected water (OSPW). These compounds are persistent in the Environment. Cyclohexanoic acid (CHA) was selected as a simple model naphthenic acid to investigate its oxidation using ozone (O_3), and advanced oxidation processes (AOP): ultraviolet light (UV) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H_2O_2). Both treatments showed to be efficient for degrading the CHA; however some byproducts formed during the treatment which needs to be considered for longer processes. In UV/H_2O_2 system, pH did not show any significant effect on the degradation, nor on the byproducts formation. However, higher pH in ozonation system seemed to increase the efficiency of the treatment.