KINETICS OF ELECTROLYTIC OZONE GENERATION AND DECOMPOSITION IN FRESH WATER: INFLUENCE OF BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION AND WATER SOURCE

Introduction. Microbial contamination of water, especially from domestic wastewater, poses significant public health risks. Ozone, a potent oxidant, offers an alternative to conventional disinfectants due to its strong antimicrobial activity. Electrolytic ozonation has gained interest as a safer, more practical approach for generating aqueous ozone without handling gaseous forms. The aim of the study. To evaluate the efficiency of ozone generation via electrolysis in different water types and to investigate ozone decay kinetics in clean and bacteria-contaminated water. Research Methods. Ozonated water was generated electrolytically in tap and spring water. Ozone concentration was measured in real time over 15 minutes. Ozone stability was tested in clean water and in the presence of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538. Ozone levels were monitored over 60 minutes, and all experiments were conducted in triplicate. Data were analyzed using the Student’s t-test. Results and Discussion. Ozone generation was significantly higher in tap water (2.98 ± 0.59 mg/L) compared to spring water (2.00 ± 0.42 mg/L), likely due to higher mineral content enhancing electrolysis efficiency. In decomposition experiments, ozone degraded faster in the presence of S. aureus, confirming that microbial and organic presence accelerates ozone consumption. Conclusions. Electrolytic ozonation is an effective method for producing aqueous ozone, with higher efficiency in mineralized water. However, the presence of bacteria significantly accelerates ozone decomposition, underscoring the importance of immediate application after generation in disinfection protocols.