Ozone (O₃) is a powerful oxidizing agent, disinfectant, decolorizer, and deodorizer. Ozone technology is a key technology for environmental and water pollution control and is one of the four key environmental science technologies of the 21st century. It is widely used for the removal of various organic compounds, disinfection, and deodorization in air and water bodies. 

· Core Principle of the Technology

The core process of this technology is to generate a large amount of ozone gas through silent discharge in a specific electric field. During this process, high-energy electrons collide with gas molecules, triggering a series of base-free chemical reactions that activate the gas, producing various reactive free radicals. These radicals catalyze, oxidize, and decompose harmful substances, bacteria, and viruses into non-toxic by-products, thereby purifying the air and water. 

· Technology Applications

In water treatment, ozone technology is primarily applied in various wastewater treatment processes for disinfection, deodorization, and removal of soluble organic compounds and other pollutants.

· Characteristics of Ozone Application:

- Strong oxidation ability, fast reaction speed;

- Highly effective in removing bacteria, viruses, spores, and soft-bodied microorganisms;

- Oxidizes soluble organic compounds, reducing BOD and COD in water; ozone’s raw material comes from oxygen in the air, and after completing its work, it reverts to oxygen, increasing dissolved oxygen in water, with no secondary pollution;

- Improves the physicochemical properties of water, offering good decolorization, deodorization, and removal of odors;

- Ozone disinfection does not produce toxic trihalomethanes or carcinogenic organic halides as by-products, and there are no harmful residues to humans or animals.

· Challenges and Issues with the Technology

Ozone, due to its high redox potential (2.07 V, second only to fluorine), is commonly used for disinfection, deodorization, decolorization, and other treatments, and is widely applied in drinking water treatment. However, there are still some issues when using ozone oxidation technology alone for wastewater treatment. On one hand, ozone has a strong selectivity for reacting with organic matter. At low doses and short exposure times, ozone cannot completely mineralize pollutants, and the intermediate products generated during decomposition can hinder further oxidation by ozone. Moreover, ozone generation is costly, with low utilization efficiency, leading to high treatment costs. Therefore, research aimed at improving ozone utilization and oxidation capacity is a hot topic internationally.