Response surface optimization for zooplankton inactivation with hydrogen peroxide

The batch experiments were investigated to optimize hydrogen peroxide inactivation for Copepod of zooplankton using response surface methodology. The independent variables were hydrogen peroxide dosage, contacting time and organic matter concentrations. The experimental results showed that the variables of dosage, exposure time and organic matter concentrations significantly influenced the inactivation rate of Copepod. The inactivation rate was increased with the increasing chlorine dosage and exposure time. However, the inactivation effect of Copepod was reduced when the dosage was beyond some concentration due to the hydroxyl radical capture of hydrogen peroxide. Organic matter concentrations had a negative influence on Copepod inactivation. The polynomial optimal model for Copepod removal was established by hydrogen peroxide inactivation. The analysis of variance showed that the F-value of 26.36 implied the model significance and the P-value less than 0.0001 indicated its good fit to use in the matrix. The evaluation proved that the model had a suitable predication for the application in waterworks.