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Updated: Jun 27, 2026
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Procedure to Evaluate the Efficiency of Flocculants for the Removal of Dispersed Particles from Plant Extracts
Published on: April 9, 2016
Particle size analysis as a tool for performance measurements in high rate effluent filtration
J H van der Graaf1, J de Koning, J Tang
1Department of Sanitary Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Delft University of Technology, P.O. Box 5048, 2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands.
Summary
Wastewater treatment plants in the Netherlands are highly efficient. Research at Ede wastewater treatment plant found that adding coagulants negatively impacted deep bed filtration particle removal, despite turbidity measurements suggesting otherwise.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Engineering
- Water Treatment Technologies
Background:
- Dutch wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are modernized for low nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended solids removal.
- High-quality effluent drives interest in wastewater reuse, necessitating advanced filtration studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate deep bed filtration performance at Ede WWTP.
- Optimize particle removal and filter efficiency for modern WWTP effluent.
Main Methods:
- Conducted deep bed filtration experiments.
- Measured particle removal using turbidity and particle size distribution.
- Analyzed suspended solids based on particle volume.
Main Results:
- Turbidity measurements indicated optimal performance with flocculant dosage.
- Particle size measurements and suspended solids calculations showed better removal without flocculant.
- Coagulant addition (Fe3+ or Al3+) adversely affected removal efficiencies, even at low doses.
Conclusions:
- Coagulant dosage negatively impacts deep bed filtration efficiency for modern WWTP effluent.
- Particle size analysis is crucial for understanding removal mechanisms beyond simple turbidity.
- Optimizing filtration for high-quality effluent requires careful consideration of chemical additives.
