Assessment of cationic surfactants mineralization by ozonation and photo-Fenton process.

Aqueous solutions of two important quaternary ammonium compounds--16-BAC (benzyl-dimethyl-hexadecylammonium-chloride) and 18-BAC (benzyl-dimethyl-stearylammonium-chloride)--were treated by the ozonation and photo-Fenton processes at different ozone doses and hydrogen peroxide concentrations, respectively. During the photo-Fenton experiments, two different types of lamps were used--a UV mercury vapor medium pressure lamp and a xenon lamp, which simulates solar radiation. The total organic carbon removal was monitored to follow the mineralization of the surfactants. According to the experimental results, after 90 minutes of treatment, the photo-Fenton process achieved up to 80% of mineralization when the UV lamp was used. The efficiency of the photo-Fenton with the xenon lamp was lower. The ozonation process reached, at most, 50% mineralization at the used conditions (ozone dose = 7.57 g/h).