This study was conducted to evaluate the degradation and mineralization of PPCPs (Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products) using a CBD(Collimated Beam Device) of UV/H2O2 advanced oxidation process. The decomposition rate of each substance was regarded as the first reaction rate to the ultraviolet irradiation dose. The decomposition rate constants for PPCPs were determined by the concentration of hydrogen peroxide and ultraviolet irradiation intensity. If the decomposition rate constant is large, the PPCPs concentration decreases rapidly. According to the decomposition rate constant, chlortetracycline and sulfamethoxazole are expected to be sufficiently removed by UV irradiation only without the addition of hydrogen peroxide. In the case of carbamazepine, however, very high UV dose was required in the absence of hydrogen peroxide. Other PPCPs required an appropriate concentration of hydrogen peroxide and ultraviolet irradiation intensity. The UV dose required to remove 90% of each PPCPs using the degradation rate constant can be calculated according to the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in each sample. Using this reaction rate, the optimum UV dose and hydrogen peroxide concentration for achieving the target removal rate can be obtained by the target PPCPs and water properties. It can be a necessary data to establish design and operating conditions such as UV lamp type, quantity and hydrogen peroxide concentration depending on the residence time for the most economical operation.

Aeration with low energy micro-bubble generation and UV/H2O2 processes was introduced to verify the possibility of oxidation treatment for acid mine drainage. During 10 hours of aeration with micro-bubbles, Fe and As concentrations were decreased to 18.1 and 61.8%, respectively, while Cu, Cd, Al were kept at influent concentrations. Other heavy metals such as Mn, Cr, Pb, Zn, and Ni concentrations fluctuated due to the repetition of oxidation and release. Twenty days of aeration indicated the oxidation possibility for Cu, Cd, and Al. With the employment of UV/H2O2 processes, more than 77% of Cu and Fe removed, whereas slightly more than 30% of Cd and Al removed.

Seven tetracycline classes of antibiotics were treated using ultraviolet (UV) and UV/H2O2 oxidation. Two different UV lamps were used for the UV and UV/H2O2 oxidation. The performance of the UV oxidation was different depending on the lamp type. The medium pressure lamp showed better performance than the low pressure lamp. Combining the low pressure lamp with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) improved the removal performance substantially. The by-products formation of tetracycline by UV and UV/H2O2 were investigated. The protonated form ([1 + H]+) of tetracycline was m/z 445, reacted to yield almost exclusively two oxidation by-products by UV and UV/H2O2 oxidation. Their protonated forms of by-products were m/z 461 and m/z 477. The structures of tetracycline’s by-products in UV and UV/H2O2 system were similar.

The degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) in water was investigated in laboratory-scale experiments, using five advanced oxidation processes (AOPs): UV/H2O2, fenton, photo-fenton, UV/TiO2, UV/TiO2/H2O2. The photodegradation experiments were carried out in a fluidized bed photoreactor equipped with an immersed 32 W UV-C lamp as light source. Initial decolorization rate and COD removal efficiency were evaluated and compared. The results obtained showed that the initial decolorization rate constant was quite different for each oxidation process. The relative order of decolorization was: photo-fenton > UV/TiO2/H2O2 > fenton > UV/H2O2 > UV/TiO2 > UV > H2O2. The relative order of COD removal was different from decolorization: photo-fenton ≒ UV/TiO2/H2O2 > UV/TiO2 > fenton > UV/H2O2. The photo-fenton and UV/TiO2/H2O2 processes seem to be appropriate for decolorization and COD removal of dye wastewater.