Comparative Analysis of Granular and Membrane Filters for Rainwater Treatment

Abstract

The objective of this study was to compare the efficiency of rainwater treatment using two types of filters: one with filtration materials (gravel, sand, and anthracite) and the other employing membranes. In both cases, the quality of the rainwater after passing through the filter met the standards required by NBR 15527:2007 (Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT)) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for non-potable uses according to the parameters pH, temperature, turbidity, ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, alkalinity, and calcium hardness. The results obtained were also compared with Directive 2914/2011 of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, which deals with water potability, and with Resolution 357/2005 of CONAMA (Brazilian National Council for the Environment), which is applied to surface water bodies, especially rivers, and establishes the possibility of direct contact of the water with human skin. It was concluded that the rainwater obtained from both filters could be used for non-potable uses, such as toilet flushing, garden irrigation, and sidewalk cleaning, as well as for direct-contact activities, such as bathing and washing clothes.

Activated Carbon and Coconut Coir with the Incorporation of ABR System as Greywater Filter: The Implications for Wastewater Treatment

“…Turbidity generally refers to the measure of the transparency of a fluid containing particulate matter in the form of inorganic solids (for instance, mud, sand, or clay) or organic matter (for instance, algae and bacteria) [16]. A previous study investigated the development of a filtration system with sand, gravel, and activated carbon (Figure 1) for rainwater treatment [9] and discovered that activated carbon obtained from coconut shells and activated using salt produced an effluent that fulfilled drinking water standards [5] for parameters of pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and Total Suspended Solids (TSS). Table 1 shows the physicochemical properties of the filtration materials analyzed in a previous study [17].…”

“…MF is used for chemical wastewater treatment, which is aimed at removing nonsettling particles, heavy metals, phosphorus compounds [27], and toxic organic substances [9]. Common chemical processes used for greywater treatment include ion exchange filtration [15].…”

“…The properties of wastewater are categorized into physical parameters, for instance, color, temperature, turbidity, and odor; chemical parameters, for instance, BOD, COD, pH, and the content of hazardous chemicals, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and chloride; as well as biological parameters, which refer to the content of various living organisms, including fungi, bacteria, and similar aquatic organisms [7,8]. Wastewater treatment technology is a key aspect of environmental conservation aimed at removing pollutant materials from wastewater using three treatment methods: Physical processing, chemical processing, and biological processing [9].…”

Application of the Ultrafiltration and Photooxidation Process for the Treatment of Rainwater

“…Rainwater filtration could be carried out for 60 days without backwashing, and the permeate flux stabilized at ~ 22-45 L/m 2 •h at a constant water pressure of 20 kPa (Shiguang et al, 2021). Teixeira and Ghisi (Teixeira & Ghisi, 2019) assessed the performance of granular and membrane filters. In both cases, they achieved high levels of pollution reduction.…”

A Performance Comparison of Pilot-Scale Sand Filtration and Membrane Filtration of Glafkos River Water

“…Treatment tests of rainfall water using sand and gravel filter and membrane showed similar filtration efficiency degree and produced non-potable water, but it met the regulations for other uses such as bathing, etc. However, the membrane used in these experiments required replacement during a four-month period [13]. Nevertheless, in the case of raw surface-water treatment for potable use, when deep-bed filters are used, chemical pre-treatment is required for the efficient removal of microbial pathogens and part of the suspended solid content.…”