Removal of organic substances from aqueous solutions by reagent enhanced reverse osmosis

The reagent enhanced reverse osmosis treatment of aqueous solutions containing phenol and its derivatives has been studied. A combination of the reverse osmosis with the oxidation of organic substances by hydrogen peroxide in the presence of FeCl₂ salt as a catalyst was shown to lead to the effective removal of phenol and its derivatives from aqueous solutions. The phenol catalytic decomposition was believed to occur not only in the bulk solution but also on the membrane surface. This phenomenon is of particular interest, but additional studies are necessary. In the case of solutions containing lignosulphonates (LS), a combination of the reverse osmosis treatment with the LS oxidation by hydrogen peroxide was found to provide the high degree of solution purification from both organic substances and inorganic salts. Furthermore, it shows a possibility for the recirculation of water.