Using a zeolite medium biofilter to remove organic pollutant and ammonia simultaneously

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Water Treatment Technologies
• Bioreactor Design

Background:

• Municipal wastewater treatment is crucial for public health and environmental protection.
• Conventional methods often face challenges with simultaneous removal of multiple pollutants.
• Zeolite media offers unique adsorption and catalytic properties for wastewater treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate a pilot-scale zeolite medium biological aerated filter (ZBAF) for municipal wastewater treatment.
• To assess the simultaneous removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia-N, and turbidity.
• To determine the optimal hydraulic retention time (HRT) and loading rates for ZBAF.

Main Methods:

• A pilot-scale ZBAF was constructed and operated using municipal wastewater.
• Key parameters monitored included COD, ammonia-N, and turbidity.
• Hydraulic retention time (HRT) and volumetric loading rates were systematically varied.
• Effluent quality was compared against water reuse standards.

Main Results:

• ZBAF achieved average removal efficiencies of 73.9% for COD, 88.4% for ammonia-N, and 96.2% for turbidity at an HRT of 0.95 h.
• Effluent concentrations met standards for water reuse as cooling water (43.4 mg/L COD, 3.5 mg/L ammonia-N, 3.7 NTU turbidity).
• Maximum COD and ammonia-N removal loading rates were 7.1 kg/(m³·d) and 0.9 kg/(m³·d), respectively.

Conclusions:

• ZBAF demonstrates high and simultaneous removal efficiencies for key wastewater pollutants.
• The system is suitable for producing treated water for cooling water reuse.
• ZBAF presents a promising, low-cost, and efficient solution for future wastewater treatment applications.