This work evaluated the inhibition effect of low molecular weight alcohol (ethanol) on naproxen (NAP) degradation by conventional and catalytic ozonation. The reaction system considered the ethanol as complementary organic matter in water. The conventional ozonation and in the presence of nickel oxide (O3-NiO) achieved 98% NAP degradation during the first 15 min of reaction despite the presence of ethanol. However, NAP degradation presented a delaying effect during the first minutes of treatment with this alcohol. The latter phenomenon indicates that ethanol concentration played a meaningful role in ozonation effectiveness in comparison with the presence of NiO catalyst. The presence of NiO did not generate differences in the byproducts in comparison with conventional ozonation. The intermediates were detected using the Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry technique and have only one aromatic ring in their chemical structure. In samples without ethanol, these byproducts appeared only in the first 5 min of reaction. The TOC study demonstrated the increment of 25% in the mineralization degree with the presence of NiO due to the formation of ·OH species.
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