The present work evaluates pre-ozonation for removal of acute toxicity, color and COD as well as reduction of inert soluble COD fractions in two wastewater samples (S1 and S2) taken from a textile finishing industry, located in Istanbul (Turkey). The wastewater samples were oxidized at original pH of 8.6-8.8 under 18.5-24 mg/L of applied ozone doses. Acute toxicity was monitored using Daphnia magna. The results showed that pre-ozonation improved the biodegradability and reduced the acute toxicity. Acute toxicity in raw wastewaters was reduced by 80-90% using 129-200 mg/L transfered ozone (TrO3) concentrations. At this point, 86-96% of color, 33-39% of soluble COD and 57-64% of total COD were removed from wastewaters. Both color and COD parameters were found related to the acute toxicity of the wastewater. Pre-ozonation decreased the inert soluble COD fraction (S-I) of raw wastewater while soluble product formation (Sp) increased slightly (5-10 mg/L). However, residual COD (the sum of S-I and S-p) remained below discharge limit. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.