Start-up of bench-scale biofilters for manganese removal under tropical conditions: a comparative study using virgin pumice, silica sand, and anthracite filter media

Araya-Obando, Andrés; Rietveld, L.C.; Quesada-González, Andrea; Caballero-Chavarría, Andrey; Pacini, Virginia; Romero-Esquivel, Luis G.

doi:10.1039/d1ew00093d

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 47 publications

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“…However, other studies have shown that microbial communities inhabiting the water column can adapt to temperature changes without affecting their growth rate (Zeikus & Brock, 1972). A more recent study showed that water temperature did not affect the start‐up period Mn removal in a bench‐scale anthracite biofilter (Araya‐Obando et al, 2021). Bacterial 16S rRNA gene copy abundances in the chlorinated filter media did not significantly change across the study period, rather they positively correlated with the influent 16S rRNA gene copy abundance ( rho = 0.742, p = .025, Spearman rank correlation).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acclimation, manganese removal, and backwash impact on full‐scale drinking water biofilter microbiome

Medina

To²,

Taylor³

et al. 2023

AWWA Water Science

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Biofiltration for drinking water treatment has several water quality benefits but questions remain about biofilter start-up in temperate climates where temperature and water quality changes can impact performance. A year-long fullscale demonstration was performed with biofilters operated in parallel to chlorinated filters to (O1) monitor the development of the biofilter microbiota across the acclimation period with respect to removal of Mn and total organic carbon, and (O2) determine the impact of depth and backwash events on the microbial community composition and function. Biofilter media biomass increased for the first 6 months of operation and after about 9 months the biofilters achieved comparable Mn removal to the chlorinated filters. Prokaryotic diversity decreased when the water temperature dropped. Backwash resulted in an increase in microbial diversity deeper in the biofilter. By the next sampling (30 h post backwash), 16S rRNA gene copies were again more abundant in the upper layers. Metagenomic sequencing confirmed the presence of moxA and mofA, Mn oxidizing genes. The results presented can help inform expected performance of full-scale biofilters in temperate climates.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acclimation, manganese removal, and backwash impact on full‐scale drinking water biofilter microbiome

Medina

To²,

Taylor³

et al. 2023

AWWA Water Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Long-term monitoring of Mn and Fe removal in biofilters from a converted plant

et al. 2022

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Conversion from physicochemical to biological treatment in water treatment plants has received increased attention due to the potential benefits of biofiltration. However, information is limited about the operational performance of converted water treatment plants for iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) removal over a long-term period. In this study, Fe and Mn removal from biofilters was investigated in a converted plant from November 2011 until April 2021. The plant comprises an aeration unit followed by a modified up-flow roughing filter (URF) and by two rapid sand filters (RSF) in parallel. Data analysis was based on Fe and Mn concentrations collected from 222 water analysis reports. Results showed that 98% of Fe and 95% of Mn concentrations in treated water were below the local regulatory limits of Fe < 0.2 mg/L and Mn < 0.1 mg/L. Fe was mainly removed in the URF (68%), and Mn was removed nearly equally by the URF (46%) and the RSF (47%). The combination of the URF with RSF produced total Fe and Mn removal efficiencies of 95 and 88%, respectively. No significant differences between the seasonal variation of Fe and Mn concentrations in the URG and RSF were found. The effectiveness of biofiltration technology without the use of chemical reagents or nutrient substrate additions, was demonstrated over a long-term period of monitoring.

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Start-up of non-bioaugmented pumice biofilters in flow-through and recirculating flow regime for Mn removal

et al. 2023

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Biofilters are effectively used for drinking water treatment. However, the long ripening time of virgin media for manganese (Mn) removal is a major concern. In this study, the influence of the flow regime on the ripening time of virgin pumice medium was investigated. For this purpose, pilot-scale experiments were performed to compare the start-up of flow-through and recirculating filter columns using inherent inoculation with the same groundwater source. The systems were operated at 2 m h−1 with gradual flow increments up to 5 m h−1 and avoiding Fe-loading. Effective Mn removal (>90%) in flow-through and recirculating columns was achieved after 8 and 23 days, respectively. Flow-through columns reached compliance with a local drinking water criterion (Mn < 0.1 mg·L−1) at 15 cm filter depth in 11 days. Recirculating filter columns required 32 days to reach compliance at 30 cm depth. The start-up in recirculation regime resulted in a water consumption reduction of about 50% compared with flow-through regime. The intermittent provision of the Mn-loading in recirculating regime impacted the Mn-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) concentration in the pumice stone medium. Both flow regimes required a similar total Mn-loading (0.16 and 0.11 kg·Mn·m−2, respectively), suggesting that Mn-loading was the limiting factor for the ripening of pumice.

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Start-up of bench-scale biofilters for manganese removal under tropical conditions: a comparative study using virgin pumice, silica sand, and anthracite filter media

Abstract: Biofiltration for Mn removal has not been proven in the tropics (18-29°C). Also, the use of pumice as alternative filter media for Mn removal is still poorly known. In this...

Cited by 3 publications

References 47 publications

Acclimation, manganese removal, and backwash impact on full‐scale drinking water biofilter microbiome

Acclimation, manganese removal, and backwash impact on full‐scale drinking water biofilter microbiome

Long-term monitoring of Mn and Fe removal in biofilters from a converted plant

Start-up of non-bioaugmented pumice biofilters in flow-through and recirculating flow regime for Mn removal

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