OZONIZATION OF WASTE WATER WITH HIGH AMMONIUM CONTENT IMPROVED BY THE PRESENCE OF BROMINE IONS

摘要

A treatment is described, for waste water of industrial origin containing ammonia nitrogen, namely ammonium ions (NH₄⁺) and ammonia (NH₃), to minimize/cancel the formation of nitrates, which performs a batch process in which ozone (O₃) and bromide ions (Br^-) are added to waste water, wherein said ozone (O₃) and activated hydroxide radicals (HO*) produced by the decomposition of ozone (O₃) perform the oxidation of the ammonia nitrogen, which oxidation is both direct, due to ozone (O₃) and activated hydroxide radicals (HO*), and mediated by the bromide ions (Br^-), involving the formation of the following compounds belonging to the series of the bromine-amines (NH₂Br, NHBr₂, NBr₃), the process bringing about the formation of gaseous nitrogen (N₂), minimizing the formation of nitrates, with two operating conditions: performing the process under "limiting ozone" conditions, namely all ozone (O₃) delivered to the system reacts with the bromide ions (Br^-) to form hypobromous acid (HOBr); performing the process in a range of pH reaction values from 6 to 7 wherein the ammonium ion (NH₄⁺) /ammonia (NH₃) balance is moved towards the ammonium ion.