This study investigates the oxidation conditions and kinetics of TBA as a pollutant in aqueous solutions using two different advanced oxidation processes; catalytic ozonation in the dark (TiO2/O-3) and in the presence of UVA illumination (TiO2/O-3/UVA). The oxidation experiments were conducted in deionised water and in a real wastewater sample using a falling film reactor. The utilised electrical energy per order (E-EO) under different oxidation conditions was calculated to investigate the cost effectiveness of the studied oxidation processes with regard to the electrical energy consumed by the treatments. It was observed that the oxidation of TBA by photocatalytic ozonation systems follows pseudo-first-order kinetic with respect to the concentration of TBA. The presence of metallic ions and increase of ozone and TBA concentration in the oxidation medium led to an increase of the oxidation rate of TBA in water. Catalytic ozonation in the dark showed the best cost effectiveness among the other oxidation conditions in the degradation of TBA in wastewater, with a consumed electrical energy of 12 kW/m(3) order. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.