Removal of Organic Matter from Water During the Biofiltration Process – a Full Scale Technological Investigation

Piotr Kołaski*, Agnieszka Wysocka*, Alina Pruss*, Iwona Lasocka-Gomuła**, Michał Michałkiewicz*, Zefiryn Cybulski***
*Poznan University of Technology, Poland; **AQUANET SA, Poznan, Poland; ***Greater Poland Cancer Center, Poznan, Poland
corresponding author’s e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract
The research was carried out on the full scale Water Treatment Plant with maximal capacity of 150 000 m³/d. Treated water is characterized by a high content of organic pollutants. In order to eliminate them from water and ensure the biological stability of water in the water supply network, in January 2015 a second stage of water treatment was launched, based on integrated ozonation and filtration through carbon filter beds. Between January and May 2016, samples of water and a filter bed were collected from four carbon filters and then physicochemical and bacteriological analysis were done. The FDA test and biochemical diagnostics were made to prove the microbiological activity of the filter bed. The studies showed a decrease in the content of organic compounds, meassured as TOC and COD (KMnO₄), and the biological activity of the analyzed carbon filters. The carbon filter beds were populated by Pseudomonas fluorescens, Acinetobacter lwoffii, Aeromonas salmonicida and Sphingomonas paucimobilis. In none of the analyzed filters were found strains of the Enterobacteriaceae family which may have a potential threat to health of the consumers. The application of carbon filters has reduced the organic matter content in treated water.

Keywords 

biologically active carbon filters, filtration, full scale technical investigation, identification of microorganisms, organic matter, water treatment

Full text
PDF (English)