PURIFICATION OF RAW POTABLE WATER USING ADVANCED OXIDATION PROCESSES

Groundwater and surface water - both sources for potable water - are always more and more polluted by organic substances of all kind, substances which may give rise to serious problems during the upgrading of raw potable water. This is especially valid for hydrocarbons, for halogenated organics from various industrial operations, and for pesticide residues from agriculture. In the following article, some oxidation technologies using what is called ''AOP'' (''Advanced Oxidation Processes''), based on activated ozone and/or hydrogen peroxide, are reviewed, by which the organic contaminants may be removed or degraded down to an acceptable level. These processes are based on the generation of hydroxyl (OH) radicals, whose strong oxidising activity is being utilized widely for water purification.