Detergent wastewater treatment using catalytic and non-catalytic ozone gas: Current updates and future directions

Title : Detergent wastewater treatment using catalytic and non-catalytic ozone gas: Current updates and future directions

Abstract:

Laundry detergent wastewater is a potential renewable resource that can be recycled and reused in order to mitigate water scarcity. The treatment of laundry detergent wastewater is very challenging because of its multicomponent composition, large discharge volumes to the environment resulting from increasing usage of detergent as the global population grows, and ineffectiveness of conventional treatment technologies. Ozonation as one of the most effective advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) has shown tremendous potential in the treatment and reclamation of laundry detergent wastewater. Complete mineralization of the water contaminants by molecular ozone is not economical due to the high ozone generation cost and other limitations such as pH dependence, short lifetime of ozone, low ozone solubility in aqueous solution and mass transfer limitations. Strategies such as modification of ozonation processes including combination with hydrogen peroxide (peroxone process) and catalytic ozonation have received much attention. The effectiveness of the ozonation process can be further enhanced by photocatalytic ozonation resulting in higher rate of pollutants mineralization. This presentation reviews the recent studies on ozonation treatment of surfactant containing laundry wastewater generated from various sources including domestic, industrial, commercial or public premises. Important remarks on the ozonation treatment of laundry detergent wastewater and suggestions for future applications of this technology will also be presented.
Keywords: Ozonation treatment, Advanced oxidation process (AOP), Detergent, Laundry wastewater, Surfactants
Acknowledgement: This research was supported by the Research Management Centre of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (Grant No. SDK0016-2017) and is gratefully acknowledged.

Biography:

Dr. Collin G. Joseph is a Chartered Chemist and Associate Professor in the Industrial Chemistry Program at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), where he began his academic career in 2003. He earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Nottingham, UK, in 2011. Over the years, he has received numerous Excellence and Service Awards, along with Gold Medals for research and innovation at MTE, ITEX, and PEREKA competitions. Dr. Joseph is a highly accomplished researcher and author, with expertise spanning Adsorbent Technology, Sonophotochemistry, and Ozone Chemistry. In 2014, he founded the Sonophotochemistry Research Group and continues to lead it to this day. From 2020 to 2023, he served as Head of the Industrial Chemistry Programme within UMS’s Faculty of Science and Natural Resources. His academic contributions have been widely recognized—he has been invited to review over 250 manuscripts for Tier 1 journals published by Elsevier B.V., Springer, and Taylor & Francis since 2007. He is also a frequent keynote speaker and session chair at international conferences, and research collaborator with local and international universities. Dr. Joseph sits on the Editorial Board of the Malaysian Journal of Chemistry (ISSN: 2550-1658), serves as Review Editor for Photocatalysis in Frontiers in Chemistry (ISSN: 2296-2646), and is a Guest Editor for Catalysts (ISSN: 2073-4344). As of July 15, 2025, his Google Scholar profile reflects an h-index of 22 with 2,944 citations. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the Malaysian Institute of Chemistry, he was awarded its highest honour—Fellowship status—in 2021. He is also a member of the American Chemical Society and Majlis Profesor Negara. Beyond academia, Dr. Joseph is deeply committed to community engagement. He serves as a lifelong volunteer and committee member with MERCY Malaysia and UMS4WDVC, participating in initiatives that support the well-being of Sabah’s communities.