Ozonation of dioxolanes in water: Kinetics, transformation mechanism, and toxicity

Dioxolanes, which are structural analogs to dioxane, are emerging persistent mobile organic contaminants. These compounds are frequently detected in water and wastewater, but their removal has been rarely addressed in the literature. This work systematically investigated the ozonation of two representative dioxolanes, i.e., 1,3-dioxolane (1,3-D) and 2-methyl-1,3-dioxolane (2-M-1,3-D). The degradation rates of two dioxolanes exhibited a positive correlation with both ozone dosage and solution pH increment. Specifically, direct ozone oxidation dominates the degradation of dioxolanes at slightly acidic pH, while hydroxyl radical ( • OH) becomes the primary oxidant under weak alkaline condition. The second-order reaction rate constants of ozone with 1,3-D and 2-M-1,3-D were determined to be 5.48 and 8.00 M −1 s −1 , respectively. The reaction rate constants with • OH were 9 orders of magnitude higher, reaching (3.75-8.18) × 10 9 and (2.65-5.78) × 10 9 M −1 s −1 for 1,3-D and 2-M-1,3-D, respectively. A kinetic model involving 112 reactions well simulated the degradation of 1,3-D and 2-M-1,3-D under various conditions accordingly. Eight transformation products were identified totally, and seven of them (i.e., formic acid, acetic acid, oxalic acid, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, glyoxylic acid, and 1,2-ethanediol monoacetate) were quantified. The observed evolution of these identified degradation products concludes that the degradation of 1,3-D and 2-M-1,3-D during ozonation mainly involves H-abstraction, dimerization, ring opening, disproportionation, and hydrolysis. This work not only provides essential kinetic data of dioxolanes, but also sheds light on their potential transformation mechanisms and aquatic environment risks during ozonation process.