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Heavy metal ions have deadly effects on all forms of life, and through the disposal of industrial wastewater, they enter water resources and, eventually, the food chain. Advanced oxidation processes can remove hazardous and non-degradable organic pollutants in aqueous solutions. Variables examined were initial concentrations of calcium peroxide and heavy metals, contact time, pH, and ozonation rate. Maximum removal rate of heavy metals by ozonation with calcium peroxide under optimal conditions (contact time = 90 min, pH = 3, heavy metal concentration = 25 mg/L, calcium peroxide concentration = 0.025 mg/L and ozonation rate = 1 g/min) in synthetic and real samples were respectively 89.8% and 64.6% for Pb, 92.1% and 73.9% for Cu, 90.4% and 69.7% for Ni, 86.9% and 59.1% for Cd, and 93.4% and 78.8% for Zn. Maximum COD removal rates in synthetic and real samples were 88.1% and 69.9%, respectively. Removal rates of heavy metals and COD under optimal conditions on wastewater from the Isfahan electroplating industry and steel company were determined. The use of the ozonation process with calcium peroxide can be recommended as a good, coefficient method for the removal of heavy metals in wastewater treatment.

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Phenol has been introduced as a priority pollutant by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are one of the most efficient methods for removal of non-degradable organic pollutants in aqueous solutions. The removal efficiencies of phenol and COD under optimal conditions pH = 3, phenol concentration = 5 mg/L, CaO2 concentration = 0.025 mg/L, temperature 25 °C, 1 g/min ozonation rate and contact time = 90 min in synthetic and real samples (Zarand coal washing factory in Kerman) were obtained 97.8%, 87% and 80%, 65.4%, respectively. The kinetics of phenol decomposition follows from the pseudo-first-order equation. Thermodynamic studies show that phenol decomposition with ozonation and calcium peroxide is an endothermic process. The use of ozonation process with calcium peroxide is an efficient method and can be recommended as a coefficient method for the removal of phenol.

Background: The presence of antibiotics such as metronidazole in wastewater even at low concentrations requires searching for a suitable process such as advanced oxidation process (AOP) to reduce the level of pollutants to a standard level in water. Methods: In this study, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were synthesized by thermal method using zinc sulfate (ZnSO4 ) as a precursor, then, stabilized on stone and was used as a catalyst, in order to degrade metronidazole by photocalytic process. Effective factors on the removal efficiency of metronidazole including the initial metronidazole concentration, contact time, pH, and 0.9 gL-1 ZnO stabilized on the stone surface were investigated. Results: The X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies showed that the synthesized nanomaterials have hexagonal Wurtzite structure. Also, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed that the average crystalline size of the synthesized ZnO particles was in the range of 1.9-3.2 nm. The spectra represented a sharp absorption edge at 390 nm for ZnO nanoparticles corresponding to band gap of 3.168 eV. The BET-BJH specific surface area of the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles was 25.504 m2 /g. The EDS spectrum of ZnO nanoparticles showed four peaks, which were identified as Zn and O. The maximum removal efficiency was 98.36% for the synthetic solution under a specific condition (pH = 11, reaction time = 90 minutes, ZnO concentration = 0.9 gL-1, and the initial concentration of metronidazole = 10 mgL-1). The photocatalytic degradation was found to follow pseudo-first-order degradation kinetics. Conclusion: Therefore, the ZnO nanoparticles synthesized by thermal decomposition are suitable and effective photocatalytic materials for degradation of pharmaceutical contaminants.