Treatment of Distillery Waste Water by Photochemical Process

Abstract

Conventional oxidation processes are used in water treatment to disinfect water, to reduce toxins, odour and color or to reduce manganese and iron levels in potable water. Sometimes these processes not destroy all toxins and have the potential to create dangerous disinfection by-products. Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) utilises the strong oxidising power of hydroxyl radicals that can reduce organic compounds into harmless end products such as carbon dioxide and water. The hydroxyl radicals can be generated by different oxidation processes, such as ozone (O3), ultraviolet (UV), Hydrogen peroxide combined with ultraviolet radiation (H2O2/UV), Fenton reagent (Fe2+/H2O2) photo- Fenton process, O3/UV , O3/H2O2 and heterogeneous photo catalysis using semiconductors such as zinc oxide (ZnO) but mainly titanium dioxide (TiO2) - TiO2/UV and (H2O2/UV) process Ultrasonic technology as an innovative technology can be used for water and wastewater treatment for removal of pollution. This technology decomposes many complex organic compounds into much simpler compounds during physical and chemical compounds through cavitation process. Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP) alone or in combination involving hydroxyl radicals are considered as possible methods of clean and ecologically safe remedial treatment and strongest inorganic oxidants next to elemental fluorine for the degradation of organics.