Modeling the behaviors of adsorption and biodegradation in biological activated carbon filters

This investigation developed a non-steady-state numerical model to differentiate the adsorption and biodegradation quantities of a biological activated carbon (BAC) column. The mechanisms considered in this model are adsorption, biodegradation, convection and diffusion. Simulations were performed to evaluate the effects of the major parameters, the packing media size and the superficial velocity, on the adsorption and biodegradation performances for the removal of dissolved organic carbon based on dimensionless analysis. The model predictions are in agreement with the experimental data by adjusting the liquid-film mass transfer coefficient (k(bf)), which has high correlation with the Stanton number. The Freundlich isotherm constant (N(F)), together with the maximum specific substrate utilization rate (k(f)) and the diffusion coefficient (D(f)), is the most sensitive variable affecting the performance of the BAC. Decreasing the particle size results in more substrate diffusing across the biofilm, and increases the ratio of adsorption rather than biodegradation.     

臭氧-活性炭组合工艺在东南区水厂深度处理中的应用

目前福州市区各自来水厂采用的为常规的水处理工艺,为了消除水源水质对供水水质造成的突变性、无法预测性的影响,本文介绍了在福州东南区水厂原有处理工艺基础上增加臭氧-活性炭工艺的应用情况,并反映出其对提高水厂运行稳定性的良好效果。     

Ozonation and biological activated carbon filtration of wastewater treatment plant effluents

This study investigates the fate of trace organic chemicals (TrOCs) in three full-scale reclamation plants using ozonation followed by biological activated carbon (BAC) filtration to treat wastewater treatment plant effluents. Chemical analysis was used to quantify a wide range of TrOCs and combined with bioanalytical tools to assess non-specific toxicity (Microtox assay) and estrogenicity (E-SCREEN assay). Limited dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal (<10%) was observed in the ozonation stages showing that oxidation leads to the formation of transformation products rather than mineralization. The quantified TrOCs were removed to a degree highly dependent on the compounds’ structures and the specific ozone dose (mg_O3 mg_DOC⁻¹). Non-specific toxicity was reduced by 31-39%, demonstrating that the mixture of remaining parent compounds and their transformation products as well as newly formed oxidation by-products had an overall lower toxic potential than the mixture of parent compounds. Estrogenicity was reduced by more than 87% indicating that the transformation products of the estrogenic chemicals lost their specific toxicity potential. The subsequent BAC filtration removed between 20 and 50% of the DOC depending on the plant configuration, likely due to biodegradation of organic matter. The filtration was also able to reduce the concentrations of most of the remaining TrOCs by up to 99%, and reduce non-specific toxicity by 33-54%. Overall, the combination of ozonation and BAC filtration can achieve removals of 50% for DOC and more than 90% for a wide range of TrOCs as well as a reduction of 70% of non-specific toxicity and more than 95% of estrogenicity. This process combination is therefore suggested as an effective barrier to reduce the discharge of TrOCs into the environment or their presence in water recycling schemes.     

Optimisation and significance of ATP analysis for measuring active biomass in granular activated carbon filters used in water treatment

A method for determining the concentration of active microbial biomass in granular activated carbon (GAC) filters used in water treatment was developed to facilitate studies on the interactions between adsorption processes and biological activity in such filters. High-energy sonication at a power input of 40 W was applied to GAC samples for the detachment of biomass which was measured as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Modelling of biomass removal indicated that a series of six to eight sonication treatments of 2 min each yielded more than 90% of the attached active biomass. The ATP concentrations in 30 different GAC filters at nine treatment plants in The Netherlands ranged from 25 to 5000 ng ATP cm(-3) GAC, with the highest concentrations at long filter run times and pretreatment with ozone. A similar concentration range was observed in nine rapid sand (RS) filters. ATP concentrations correlated significantly (p<0.05) with total direct bacterial cell counts in each of these filter types, but the median value of the ATP content per cell in GAC filters (2.1 x 10(-8) ng ATP/cell) was much lower than in the RS filters (3.6 x 10(-7) ng ATP/cell). Average biofilm concentrations ranging from 500 to 10(5) pg ATP cm(-2) were calculated assuming spherical shapes for the GAC particles but values were about 20 times lower when the surface of pores >1 microm diameter is included in these calculations. The quantitative biomass analysis with ATP enables direct comparisons with biofilm concentrations reported for spiral wound membranes used in water treatment, for distribution system pipes and other aquatic environments.     

Biological treatment of H(2)S using pellet activated carbon as a carrier of microorganisms in a biofilter

Biological treatment is an emerging technology for treating off-gases from wastewater treatment plants. The most commonly reported odourous compound in off-gases is hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S), which has a very low odor threshold. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of using a biological activated carbon as a novel packing material, to achieve a performance-enhanced biofiltration processes in treating H(2)S through an optimum balance and combination of the adsorption capacity with the biodegradation of H(2)S by the bacteria immobilized on the material. The biofilm was mostly developed through culturing the bacteria in the presence of carbon pellets in mineral media. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to identify the biofilm development on carbon surface. Two identical laboratory scale biofilters, one was operated with biological activated carbon (BAC) and another with virgin carbon without bacteria immobilization. Various concentrations of H(2)S (up to 125 ppmv) were used to determine the optimum column performance. A rapid startup (a few days) was observed for H(2)S removal in the biofilter. At a volumetric loading of 1600 m(3)m(-3)h(-1) (at 87 ppmv H(2)S inlet concentration), elimination capacity of the BAC (181 gH(2)Sm(-3)h(-1)) at removal efficiency (RE) of 94% was achieved. If the inlet concentration was kept at below 30 ppmv, high H(2)S removal (over 99%) was achieved at a gas retention time (GRT) as low as 2s, a value, which is shorter than most previously reported for biofilter operations. The bacteria population in the acidic biofilter demonstrated capacity for removal of H(2)S in a broad pH range (pH 1-7). There are experimental evidences showing that the spent BAC could be re-used as packing material in a biofilter based on BAC. Overall, the results indicated that an unprecedented performance could be achieved by using BAC as the supporting media for H(2)S biofiltration.     

活性炭在微污染水源水处理中的应用综述

介绍了活性炭在微污染水源水处理中的应用情况,包括活性炭吸附、生物活性炭、臭氧活性炭技术等的对水源中有机物的去除效果和工艺特点,指出活性炭对去除水中微量有机物污染方面是其他水处理单元难以取代的,在微污染水源水处理中有较广泛的应用.     

生物活性炭在饮用水处理中的应用

介绍了活性炭的物理特性、使用寿命、在水处理中的作用以及生物活性炭工艺主要的影响因素.研究表明,压块破碎活性炭具有均匀、粗糙的表面,适合细菌的附着和生长,其丰富的孔结构能够保护细菌不受生物杀灭剂、杀虫剂和其他毒素的干扰.同时,与其他方法制得的活性炭相比,压块破碎活性炭具有更强的调节食物供给能力.     

Calcium accumulation on activated carbon deteriorates synthetic organic chemicals adsorption

The accumulation of calcium on biological activated carbon (BAC) and their effects on adsorption of synthetic organic chemicals (SOCs) were studied using BAC, which have been operated for 5 (BAC5.0) and 3.5 (BAC3.5) years in a pilot-scale water purification plant, and granular activated carbon (GAC) preloaded with fulvic acid and/or calcium. The major inorganic material accumulated on BAC was calcium. The amounts of calcium on BAC5.0 and BAC3.5 were 36.6 and 29.7 mg g(-1), respectively. Seventy-one percent of calcium existed as calcium carbonate in both BACs. BAC5.0 had higher amount of accumulated calcium than BAC3.5 even though both BACs have already exhausted for NOM in the influent in 1-year operation, suggesting that calcium carbonate gradually accumulated on BAC even after the 3.5 years of operation. The isotherms of GAC preloaded with fulvic acid and/or calcium clearly indicated that the calcium accumulation on GAC reduced adsorption capacity for simazine. The conclusion also confirmed by significant recovery of adsorption capacity of both BACs by acid-washing to remove accumulated calcium from BACs. The difference of adsorption capacity between BAC3.5 and BAC5.0 was caused not only by the difference of adsorbed NOM but also the difference in the amount of accumulated calcium.     

Advanced sewage treatment process with excess sludge reduction and phosphorus recovery

An advanced sewage treatment process has been developed, in which excess sludge reduction by ozonation and phosphorus recovery by crystallization process are incorporated to a conventional anaerobic/oxic (A/O) phosphorus removal process. The mathematical model was developed to describe the mass balance principal at a steady state of this process. Sludge ozonation experiments were carried out to investigate solubilization characteristics of sludge and change in microbial activity by using sludge cultured with feed of synthetic sewage under A/O process. Phosphorus was solubilized by ozonation as well as organics, and acid-hydrolyzable phosphorus (AHP) was the most part of solubilized phosphorus for phosphorus accumulating organisms (PAOs) containing sludge. At solubilization of 30%, around 70% of sludge was inactivated by ozonation. The results based on these studies indicated that the proposed process configuration has potential to reduce the excess sludge production as well as to recover phosphorus in usable forms. The system performance results show that this system is practical, in which 30% of solubilization degree was achieved by ozonation. In this study, 30% of solubilization was achieved at 30 mgO(3)/gSS of ozone consumption.     

Neural Network Simulation of the Chemical Oxygen Demand Reduction in a Biological Activated-Carbon Filter

This paper is primarily aimed at encouraging further use of neural networks by the water- and wastewater treatment industry. The study demonstrates the principle of using a network method of simulating the performance of a biological activated-carbon filter based on a biological water-quality assessment and measurements of pH and dissolved oxygen during the bio-regeneration mode with untreated river water. Protozoa, worms, rotifers, bacteria, fungi and algae were used as biological parameters. The neural network model could reasonably estimate the chemical oxygen demand reduction in an exhausted filter. The neural network model gave much better results than a second-order polynomial regression model; however, a much larger database is required than is currently available.     

Sensory pollution from bag filters, carbon filters and combinations

Used ventilation filters are a major source of sensory pollutants in air handling systems. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the net effect that different combinations of filters had on perceived air quality after 5 months of continuous filtration of outdoor suburban air. A panel of 32 subjects assessed different sets of used filters and identical sets consisting of new filters. Additionally, filter weights and pressure drops were measured at the beginning and end of the operation period. The filter sets included single EU5 and EU7 fiberglass filters, an EU7 filter protected by an upstream pre-filter (changed monthly), an EU7 filter protected by an upstream activated carbon (AC) filter, and EU7 filters with an AC filter either downstream or both upstream and downstream. In addition, two types of stand-alone combination filters were evaluated: a bag-type fiberglass filter that contained AC and a synthetic fiber cartridge filter that contained AC. Air that had passed through used filters was most acceptable for those sets in which an AC filter was used downstream of the particle filter. Comparable air quality was achieved with the stand-alone bag filter that contained AC. Furthermore, its pressure drop changed very little during the 5 months of service, and it had the added benefit of removing a large fraction of ozone from the airstream. If similar results are obtained over a wider variety of soiling conditions, such filters may be a viable solution to a long recognized problem. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The present study was designed to address the emission of sensory offending pollutants from loaded ventilation filters. The goal was to find a low-polluting solution from commercially available products. The results indicate that the use of activated carbon (AC) filters downstream of fiberglass bag filters can reduce the degradation of air quality that occurs with increasing particle loading. A more practical solution, yet comparably effective, is a stand-alone particle filter that incorporates AC. In either case, further testing under a variety of conditions is recommended before making design decisions regarding the type of filters best suited to efficient building operation.     

Comparison of NOM removal and microbial properties in up-flow/down-flow BAC filter

The removal of natural organic matter (NOM) in term of COD_Mn by up-flow biologically activated carbon filter (UBACF) and down-flow biologically activated carbon filter (DBACF) was investigated in a pilot-scale test. The impacts of the molecular weight distribution of NOM on its degradation by the UBACF and DBACF were evaluated. The relationship between biodegradation and the microbial properties in the UBACF and DBACF were approached as well. The feed water of the UBACF and DBACF were pumped from the effluent of the rapid sand filtration (RSF) of Chengnan Drinking Water Treatment Plant (CDWTP), Huaian, Jiangsu Province, China. When the adsorption was the dominant mechanism of NOM removal at the initial stage of operation, the COD_Mn removal efficiency by the UBACF was lower than the DBACF. However, with the microbes gradually accumulated and biofilm formed, the removal of COD_Mn by the UBACF increased correspondingly to 25.3%, at the steady-state operation and was approximately 10% higher than that by the DBACF. Heterotrophy plate count (HPC) in the finished water of the UBACF was observed 30% higher than that of the DBACF. The UBACF effluent had higher concentration of detached bacteria whereas the DBACF harbored more attached biomass. The highest attached biomass concentration of the UBACF was found in the middle of the GAC bed. On the contrary, the highest attached biomass concentration of the DBACF was found on the top of the GAC bed. Furthermore, a total of 9479 reads by pyrosequencing was obtained from samples of the UBACF and DBACF effluents. The UBACF effluent had a more diverse microbial community and more even distribution of species than the DBACF effluent did. Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria were the dominant groups in the finished water of the UBACF and DBACF. The higher organic matter removal by the UBACF was attributed to the presence of its higher biologically activity.     

生物活性炭滤池的反冲洗方式研究

反冲洗是保证生物活性炭滤池成功运行的一个重要环节，对不同反冲洗方式的效果进行了比较，根据反冲洗废水浊度变化及对滤池出水水质的影响，确立了合理的反冲洗方式，并给出相关的反冲洗强度和反冲洗历时参数，以期为生物活性炭滤池的设计和运行提供参考。     

Removing of fulvic acids by ozonation and biological active carbon filtration

It was studied the effect of the content of biodegradable organic carbon (BDOC) after the processes of aeration and ozonation of the fulvic acid (FA) solutions on the efficiency of its adsorption and biofiltration. It was found that the change of free energy of adsorption of the FA oxidation products correlated with the part of biodegradable organic carbon in total organic carbon content. Predicting the effectiveness of NOM solutions ozonation before filtration through BAC is more appropriate by determining the value of the free adsorption energy. It was established that ozonation of FA solutions with high initial BDOC content by ozone doses that are economically and technologically acceptable, leads to a decrease in the BDOC value. Ozonation of FA solutions leads to equalization of the adsorption ability of FA fractions and increases the adsorption energy of FA in most investigated systems with a high initial BDOC content.     

生物活性炭滤池反冲洗技术的优化

反冲洗是生物活性炭滤池运行中的一个关键步骤,合理优化反冲洗过程有助于改善其整体运行性能。为此,采用反冲洗废水的浊度、滤池运行中的水头损失变化、对有机物的去除效果以及出水细菌数等指标,比较分析了4种不同的反冲洗方式对生物活性炭滤池运行效果的影响,最终认为气水联合反冲洗更适合于生物活性炭滤池。     

The relation between activated carbon adsorption and water quality indexes

In order to estimate the adsorbability by activated carbon of organic compounds dissolved in aqueous solutions, the contribution of individual atoms to the adsorption process is calculated. The contribution of carbon, bromine and chlorine atoms is positive, that of oxygen atoms is negative, that of hydrogen atoms is very small and that of nitrogen atoms is influenced by the kind of functional group in which they are contained. The dominant factors governing adsorption are the numbers of carbon and oxygen atoms in a molecule. The activated carbon's effectiveness for adsorption of organic compounds dissolved in solutions can be predicted from such water quality indexes as total organic carbon, total organic nitrogen, total organic halogen an total oxygen demand.     

生物活性炭滤池去除水中溶解性有机碳的研究

按水中溶解性有机碳（DOC）的可生物降解性及其在活性炭上的可吸附性将其分为四类,考察了经生物活性炭滤池处理后水中四类有机碳的变化规律,并结合对有机碳分子质量的测定考察了生物活性炭滤池对不同分子质量区间有机碳的去除效果。结果表明。滤池在运行初期去除的DOC主要为可吸附性DOC;在其连续运行6个月后,能够有效去除的DOC则为可生物降解且可吸附性DOC;可被滤池去除的DOC主要分布在分子质量为（3～10）、（1～3）及〈0．5ku的范围内。生物活性炭的生物再生过程只能保证滤池对可生物降解且可吸附性DOC的持续去除能力。     

Arsenic removal by iron-modified activated carbon

Iron-impregnated activated carbons have been found to be very effective in arsenic removal. Oxyanionic arsenic species such as arsenate and arsenite adsorb at the iron oxyhydroxide surface by forming complexes with the surface sites. Our goal has been to load as much iron within the carbon pores as possible while also rendering as much of the iron to be available for sorbing arsenic. Surface oxidation of carbon by HNO3/H2SO4 or by HNO3/KMnO4 increased the amount of iron that could be loaded to 7.6-8.0%; arsenic stayed below 10 ppb until 12,000 bed volumes during rapid small-scale tests (RSSCTs) using Rutland, MA groundwater (40-60 ppb arsenic, and pH of 7.6-8.0). Boehm titrations showed that surface oxidation greatly increased the concentration of carboxylic and phenolic surface groups. Iron impregnation by precipitation or iron salt evaporation was also evaluated. Iron content was increased to 9-17% with internal iron-loading, and to 33.6% with both internal and external iron loading. These iron-tailored carbons reached 25,000-34,000 bed volumes to 10 ppb arsenic breakthrough during RSSCTs. With the 33.6% iron loading, some iron peeled off.     

粉末活性炭投加系统的建设和应用

针对枯水季节时常发生的突发性污染问题,桂城水厂采用了粉末活性炭投加系统.该系统具有手动、自动两种控制方式.运行结果表明,通过投加适量的活性炭,可以保证出厂水水质符合<生活饮用水卫生标准>(GB 5749-2006)的要求.     

Equilibrium and intra-particle diffusion of stabilized landfill leachate onto micro- and meso-porous activated carbon

Stabilized landfill leachate has previously been treated with activated carbon (AC); however, information on the selectivity of AC depending upon the pore size is minimal. Isotherm and kinetic experiments were conducted using three commercially available AC products, one micro-porous and two meso-porous. Equilibrium adsorption and intra-particle diffusion of organic matter from stabilized leachate was studied. Isotherm experimental data were fitted to Langmuir, Freundlich, and Redlich-Peterson isotherm models in non-linear forms. Of the three isotherm models, the Redlich-Peterson model provided the best fit to the experimental data and showed a similar organic matter adsorption capacity (approximately 0.2 g total organic carbon (TOC) g⁻¹ AC) for both micro-porous and meso-porous AC. The organic matter effective intra-particle diffusion coefficients (D_e) in both AC types were on the order of 10⁻¹⁰ m² s⁻¹ for AC particle sizes greater than 0.5 mm. Meso-porous ACs showed slightly higher D_e compared to micro-porous AC. Rapid small-scale tests showed a maximum of 80% TOC removal from leachate by each AC investigated. Fluorescence spectroscopy showed a preferential adsorption of fulvic-type organic matter with an increase in empty bed contact time by each AC.