Why Do Sewage Treatment Plants Need Ozone Decomposition Catalysts?

Ozone byproducts produced during sewage treatment may appear harmless, but they pose a potential health threat.
Sewage treatment plants are a crucial line of defense for urban environmental protection. However, the use of ozone in sewage purification can bring about an unexpected problem: ozone leakage and byproduct formation. While this strong oxidant kills pathogens and degrades organic pollutants, it can also pose a health threat to plant workers and surrounding residents.

01 The Hidden Killer in Wastewater Treatment

Due to its strong oxidizing properties, ozone is widely used in the advanced treatment stage of wastewater treatment, effectively degrading difficult-to-degrade organic matter and new pollutants. However, this process also creates significant secondary pollution.
The ozone catalytic oxidation technology used in sewage treatment plants produces residual ozone when treating high-color industrial wastewater and wastewater from chemical parks. This ozone is released into the air in gaseous form, polluting the plant environment.
Even more worryingly, when bromide is present in the water source, the ozone oxidation process produces toxic byproducts such as bromate (BrO₃⁻). The World Health Organization has classified bromate as a Class 2B carcinogen, with a maximum concentration limit of 10 μg/L in drinking water.
These pollutants pose a serious threat to human health. Ozone gas can cause respiratory inflammation, decreased lung function, and cardiovascular disease; bromate carries a long-term risk of cancer.

02 The Working Mechanism of Ozone Decomposition Catalysts

Ozone decomposition catalysts are specialized materials that accelerate the decomposition of ozone into oxygen. Its working principle primarily relies on the active sites on the catalyst surface. By reducing the activation energy of ozone decomposition, it enables efficient conversion of ozone into harmless oxygen at room temperature and pressure. The catalyst's effectiveness also depends on its resistance to interference. In practical applications, high humidity often deactivates traditional catalysts. However, the new nickel-doped manganese dioxide catalyst, through its optimized surface structure, can maintain an ozone conversion rate exceeding 95% even in environments with a relative humidity of 90%.

03 Technical Applications and Advantages

The use of ozone decomposition catalysts in wastewater treatment plants offers multiple advantages. They can significantly reduce environmental health risks, ensure that air quality within the plant area meets safety standards, and protect the health of workers and surrounding residents.
This technology also helps wastewater treatment plants meet increasingly stringent emission standards. By controlling the formation of bromate, an ozone byproduct, the catalyst helps water plants meet the bromate limit requirements in drinking water quality standards.
Compared to traditional thermal decomposition and adsorption methods, catalytic decomposition offers the advantages of low energy consumption, high efficiency, and excellent stability. Once installed, the catalyst provides long-term performance without the need for frequent replacement or significant energy input.

With increasingly stringent environmental standards, ozone decomposition catalyst technology has become an indispensable component of modern wastewater treatment plants. By efficiently decomposing residual ozone and suppressing the formation of toxic byproducts, this technology not only protects human health but also promotes a safer and more sustainable water treatment industry.

Author: Hazel
Date: 2025-09-24