Transformation of dissolved organic matter in concentrated leachate from nanofiltration during ozone-based oxidation processes (O3, O3/H2O2 and O3/UV)

•O3/H2O2 and O3/UV systems performed better than O3-alone for COD and color removal.•HA was preferentially reacted with the oxidants during ozonation process.•Degradation of HA proceeded through a pathway from HA to FA, and then to HyI.•Fluorescence intensity in FA-like and HA-like regions decreased significantly.•High molecule weight DOM degraded to low molecular weight organics with 1-10 kDa.

In this study, the transformation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in nanofiltration concentrated leachate during three ozone-based oxidation processes (i.e., O3, O3/H2O2 and O3/UV) was investigated. The transformation characteristics of DOM were evaluated by gel filtration chromatography (GFC), XAD-8 resin fractionation, excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy (EEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Compared with O3-alone process, the removal efficiencies of COD, TOC, and color were improved in O3-combined processes (i.e., O3/H2O2 and O3/UV) approximately by 10-15%, 7-15%, and 15-20%, respectively. Humic acid (HA) was completely degraded and preferentially reacted with the oxidants during ozonation processes. HA was first converted into fulvic acid (FA), and then the majority of these intermediates were further converted to hydrophilic fraction (HyI). The GFC results indicated that the broader molecular weight distribution of DOM was observed, and high molecular weight DOM (i.e., 0.45 μm-100 kDa) was successfully converted to low molecular weight organics in the range of 1-10 kDa after ozonation reactions. The EEM spectra also showed that HA and FA were effectively converted into HyI after ozonation for 90 min. It is suggested that ozone-based oxidation processes could effectively change the DOM distribution and fluorescence features of concentrated leachate.