This work investigated the effect of several metal oxides including alpha-FeOOH, alpha-Fe(2)O(3), gamma-FeOOH, and CeO(2) on bromate formation potential (BFP) during ozonation of bromide-containing water. Results indicate that CeO(2) could most effectively minimize the BFP among these metal oxides taking ozonation alone as control. The BFP minimization by O(3)/CeO(2) favored a relatively low Br(-) concentration (i.e., <1.0mgL(-1)) and pH<7. Water temperature ranging from 5 to 25 degrees C had no significant impact on the percent reduction of BrO(3)(-). Further investigation indicates that the effective BFP minimization can be ascribed to neither the surface adsorption of BrO(3)(-) or Br(-) on CeO(2) nor the surface reduction of BrO(3)(-) to HOBr/OBr(-) by CeO(2). It seems to have relationship with the activity of surface Ce(IV) sites. The CeO(2) can lower the concentration of H(2)O(2) which is formed during ozone decomposition and promotes BrO(3)(-) formation. Another possible reason for the BFP minimization is that the CeO(2) could possibly reduce BrO() to HOBr/OBr(-) during the decomposition of H(2)O(2).