The efficiency of the photocatalytic degradation of pollutants can be enhanced by combination with another advanced oxidation procedure such as ozonation. Application of these two methods for degradation of benzenesulfonate (BS) resulted in a synergic effect; the efficiency of the combined procedure significantly exceeded the sum of those of the individual techniques. Enhancement of the ozone dosage in this system accelerated the mineralization, i.e., the decrease of the total organic carbon content (TOC), more than the decay (transformation) of BS. The initial rates of both processes displayed a maximum at pH 5-6 in both the aerated and the ozonated systems. An increase of pH in the range of 2-7 promoted the mineralization in the ozonated system more than in the aerated one, while for the decay of BS a reversed relation was observed. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.