Protecting a Scarce Resource with Innovative Chemistry

Water and Wastewater Treatment

Safe, clean water is one of our most vital resources. At Evonik Active Oxygens, we offer advanced water and wastewater treatment solutions designed to meet the needs of both municipal and industrial facilities. Our solutions are built on scientific expertise and supported by a team of experienced technical professionals.

We provide innovative, sustainable, and regulatory-compliant solutions for water and wastewater treatment. Whether you're managing municipal systems or industrial effluents, our solutions help you achieve:

  • Improved water quality
  • Reduced environmental impact
  • Reliable disinfection performance

Why Use Peracetic Acid for Wastewater Disinfection?

Evonik understands the challenges of modern wastewater treatment—safety, toxicity, by-product formation, and cost-efficiency. That’s why we developed VIGOROX® WWT II, a powerful and environmentally responsible wastewater disinfectant.

This innovative formulation contains:

VIGOROX® WWT II offers a long-lasting, non-chlorinated solution that helps facilities meet regulatory standards while minimizing environmental impact. It’s an ideal choice for operators seeking effective disinfection without harmful by-products.

We have also collaborated with the Standard Methods Organization and other industry experts to develop Method 4500-PAA, a standardized approach for measuring peracetic acid residuals in wastewater effluent. This method supports compliance with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits and is available at standardmethods.org.

Hydrogen peroxide: A Versatile tool in Water Treatment

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is a powerful oxidizing agent widely used in water treatment for:

  • Algae control
  • Precipitation of iron and manganese
  • Oxidation of organic and inorganic contaminants

Hydrogen peroxide does not produce harmful disinfection by-products such as trihalomethanes (THMs), which can pose health risks. In biologically active wastewater systems, hydrogen peroxide naturally decomposes into water and oxygen, enhancing aerobic bacterial activity and supporting biological oxygen demand (BOD) reduction.

This oxygen release is especially beneficial in systems with:

  • High BOD
  • Elevated chemical oxygen demand (COD)
  • Increased total organic carbon (TOC)
  • Insufficient aeration

Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP) for Industrial Wastewater

Evonik’s hydrogen peroxide is a key component in Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP), which are widely used for treating industrial wastewater. In the advanced oxidation process (AOP), hydrogen peroxide is activated by additional components such as: 

  • Iron salts (Fenton’s reagent)
  • Ozone
  • Ultraviolet (UV) light

The AOP technology is one of the most commonly applied approaches for industrial wastewater treatment. It is successfully used for the degradation of recalcitrant pollutants in various refinery effluents and wastewater especially from chemical or pharmaceutical facilities.

The high efficiency and effectiveness of this process is based on the oxidation power of highly reactive hydroxyl radicals, which are formed by the activation of hydrogen peroxide.

These processes generate highly reactive hydroxyl radicals, which deliver exceptional oxidation power. AOP is particularly effective for degrading recalcitrant pollutants found in wastewater from chemical plants, pharmaceutical facilities, and refineries.

Our Products

VIGOROX® WWT II is a strong chemical disinfectant for use in wastewater treatment that can replace other chemistries that leave toxic by-products or methods such as ozone disinfection. VIGOROX® WWT II, a peracetic acid-based formulation, is an equilibrium mixture of acetic acid (vinegar), hydrogen peroxide and water. The resulting solution contains a mix of 15% peracetic acid (PAA) and 23% hydrogen peroxide.

The peracetic acid molecule is a strong oxidant that, similar to chlorine, will attack and kill pathogenic organisms of concern in wastewater treatment such as E-coli, fecal coliforms and Enterococci by disruption of the cell membrane.

VIGOROX® WWT II is offered as a complete solution including chemical supply; storage, feed and control equipment; and installation, startup and maintenance services.

VIGOROX® WWT II has several other attributes that make it desirable as a wastewater disinfectant, including its ease of operation, lower toxicity to aquatic life, low capital costs, efficacy against a broad range of pathogens, and rapid disinfection rate.

KEY BENEFITS

  • A proven, powerful alternative disinfectant that leaves no toxic by-products (THMs)
  • Broad spectrum biocide
  • A compliance guarantee and turnkey solution

BROAD SPECTRUM BIOCIDE

VIGOROX® WWT II is a highly effective biocide demonstrating superior microbial reductions of fecal coliform compared to other chemistries at lower usage rates and shorter contact times, producing no toxic by-products (THMs).

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

  • No need to de-chlorinate prior to discharge
  • Low capital storage and handling systems
  • Effective over a wide pH range
  • Effective in turbid waters

POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS

  • Primary, secondary, or tertiary effluent treatment
  • CSO / Storm water
  • Re-use streams
  • Enhancement of ozone and UV systems

Formulations of peracetic acid are effective against a wide range of harmful aquatic organisms and to those which cause problems in industrial processes. Peracetic acid solutions are used for a wide range of water purification applications such as the treatment of cooling water and industrial or municipal waste water. Wastewater is usually disinfected prior to discharge to remove pathogenic species. Peracetic acid-based disinfectants offer a residue-free alternative that prevents the formation of toxic byproducts.

PERACLEAN® Vanguard utilizes peracetic acid to eliminate metals, tri-halogenated forming organic compounds, and contaminants of concern, as well as to reduce biological oxygen demand prior to terminal disinfection for drinking water applications. Peracetic acid is a strong oxidant used in many industrial settings to eliminate unwanted water contaminants, and its oxidative power can be deployed in the treatment of drinking waters. PERACLEAN® Vanguard is NSF® approved as an oxidant and membrane cleaner and is certified organic.

B-CAP® antimicrobial agents are EPA registered and may be used for biofouling control in cooling and process water systems, as a paper mill biocide and for general slime control. Some grades are registered for manufacturing and can be used in any FIFRA registered product formulation using hydrogen peroxide as an active ingredient.

OHP® Grade hydrogen peroxide is an environmentally safe grade of hydrogen peroxide specially developed for its use in OHP wastewater treatment plants or in Fenton chemical oxidation treatment processes for reduction of COD and TOC in wastewaters. A clear, transparent and slightly viscous liquid, it is completely miscible in water in all proportions. It has been proven stable at room temperature and it does not create residue when it decomposes into water and oxygen.

OXYPURE® is used for removal of iron and hydrogen sulfide in groundwater, for taste and odor control, and for destroying ozone and chlorine residuals in potable water treatment. OXYPURE® hydrogen peroxide is the National Sanitary Foundation (NSF) approved product for drinking water applications.

Removal of iron
OXYPURE® is effective in oxidation and precipitation of iron by oxidizing the iron to form dense, easily removable solids. Iron could otherwise discolor water, spot laundry, stain plumbing fixtures, and, if bacteria were to grow, cause an abnormal taste, odor, and biofouling of the water system.

Removal of hydrogen sulfide (H2S)
OXYPURE® can oxidize the H2S commonly found in underground potable water sources and remove the taste and odor associated with sulfides.

Use for residual ozone destruction: It can be added to ensure destruction of small quantities of residual ozone that could be otherwise released into the atmosphere during certain water treatment plant stages.

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