Possibilities and Limitations of the Combined use of Ozone and Hydrogen Peroxide in Drinking Water Preparation from Surface Water

The feasability of the combined use of ozone and hydrogen peroxide in surface water preozonation and in the ozonation of pretreated water was evaluated in relation to H₂O₂ dosage, time of H₂O₂ addition, O₃ dosage TOC, UV₂₅₄ absorption, formation of oxidation by-products, trihalomethane precursor removal and adsorption on activated carbon in comparison with the use of ozone as such, Although in all cases a small but consistently better UV₂₅₄ removal was observed though the combined use of ozone and hydrogen peroxide, the beneficial effects for other parameters were limited or non existent, especially within the range of ozone doses applied during surface water preozonation (< 2 mg/L). Therefore, the combined application of ozone and hydrogen peroxide seems to have little advantage over the use of ozone alone in the treatment of this type of surface waters.