Application of ozone micro-nano-bubbles to groundwater remediation

•This paper presents the high efficiency of gas supply and mass transfer in water using MNBs.•The ozone MNBs technique was applied for in situ groundwater remediation of an organics-contaminated site.•Ozone MNBs show considerable advantages in contaminant cleanup and time efficiency.•Ozone MNBs potentially represent an innovative technology for in situ remediation of organics-contaminated groundwater.

Ozone is widely used for water treatment because of its strong oxidation ability. However, the efficiency of ozone in groundwater remediation is limited because of its relatively low solubility and rapid decomposition in the aqueous phase. Methods for increasing the stability of ozone within the subsurface are drawing increasing attention. Micro-nano-bubbles (MNBs), with diameters ranging from tens of nanometres to tens of micrometres, present rapid mass transfer rates, persist for a relatively long time in water, and transport with groundwater flow, which significantly improve gas concentration and provide a continuous gas supply. Therefore, MNBs show a considerable potential for application in groundwater remediation. In this study, the characteristics of ozone MNBs were examined, including their size distribution, bubble quantity, and zeta potential. The mass transfer rate of ozone MNBs was experimentally investigated. Ozone MNBs were then used to treat organics-contaminated water, and they showed remarkable cleanup efficiency. Column tests were also conducted to study the efficiency of ozone MNBs for organics-contaminated groundwater remediation. Based on the laboratory tests, field monitoring was conducted on a trichloroethylene (TCE)-contaminated site. The results showed that ozone MNBs can greatly improve remediation efficiency and represent an innovative technology for in situ remediation of organics-contaminated groundwater.