Kinetic modeling and toxicity assessment of Diethyl Phthalate treated by H₂O₂/UV-C process

In the present study, the treatability of aqueous DEP solution employing H₂O₂/UV-C oxidation and the changes in acute and/or chronic toxicity of untreated and H₂O₂/UV-C treated DEP solutions was investigated. For DEP removal and its ultimate oxidation (mineralization), an optimum initial H₂O₂ concentration of 40 mM was required. The HO^. bimolecular reaction rate constant of DEP was found as 2.33 ± 0.27 × 10⁸ M^-1 s^-1. Activated sludge inhibition experiments inferred that H₂O₂/UV-C treated DEP solutions were composed of a mixture of oxidation intermediates which exhibited higher degree of inhibition to heterotrophic biomass with respect to DEP. According to the results obtained in this work, the complete mineralization of DEP by H₂O₂/UV-C process would be a better option.