Experimental Validation of the Mathematical Model of the Dimethyl Phthalate Degradation by Ozone in the Solid Phase

The present study details the validation of a simple mathematical model of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) ozonation distributed on sand (as a model soil) and the agricultural soil (real soil). The proposed model considers the time-varying parameters that characterize the ozone mass transfer in viscous liquid and different solid matrices and the observed reaction rate of DMP ozonation, described by a system of ordinary differential equations. To simplify the description of the heterogeneous DMP distribution on the studied soils (the calcinated sand and soil and the glass spheres), the model included a global distinguishing parameter, namely, the adsorption constant (kads, min-1), characterizing the ozone adsorbed on the solid phase, and the time-varying function ksat (t), which described the ozone mass transfer into DMP clusters as well as the reaction constant of ozone with DMP. The evaluation of the proposed model was realized by the comparison of the numerical simulation and the experimental data of DMP decomposition in the different solid phases, which demonstrated a good coincidence, considering the correlation factors of 0.93 in average. The conformity between experimental data and the model evaluated with the estimated parameters may provide a justification to exploit the suggested mathematical formulation to study ozonation of different viscous liquids.