Synergy of non-thermal plasma and ozonation for enhanced real industrial wastewater treatment

Rapid population growth and industrialization necessitate more effective ways of eliminating refractory pollutants in industrial wastewater. This study examined the synergistic effects of ozone and non-thermal plasma, produced by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD), on Kaveh industrial wastewater. After aeration and pre-filtration, the optimal ozone treatment was established at 10 min. Wastewater was pre-treated, ozonated, and then exposed to DBD plasma for 10 to 50 min to optimize the process and test the synergy of these two techniques. The results showed that the optimal physicochemical reduction in wastewater was achieved with 30 min of DBD treatment. At this optimal time, major wastewater parameters, namely biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD), were reduced by 59.30% and 51.41%, respectively. A major contribution to this reduction strategy could be attributed to the formation of highly reactive oxidizing agents, which facilitate the degradation of biodegradable and non-biodegradable compounds. Therefore, the synergistic application of ozone and cold plasma presents a flexible and environmentally friendly alternative for advanced oxidation.