Diatomite-enhanced coagulation for algal removal in polluted raw water: performance optimization and pilot-scale...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Water Treatment Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Algal blooms pose significant threats to aquatic ecosystems and drinking water safety.
• Conventional water treatment methods struggle with efficient algae removal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and optimize diatomite-enhanced coagulation for improved algae and pollutant removal.
• To investigate the influence of environmental factors on the treatment process.
• To evaluate the technology's performance in pilot-scale applications.

Main Methods:

• Optimization of diatomite and aluminum salt dosage and ratio.
• Investigation of environmental factors: cell density, pH, and temperature.
• Pilot-scale testing of diatomite-enhanced coagulation on algae-polluted raw water.

Main Results:

• Optimized dosage of 40mg/L and ratio of 1:1 achieved 98.8±0.65% algal removal.
• Cell density, pH, and temperature significantly impacted algal removal efficiency.
• Pilot-scale tests confirmed superior removal of algae, NH4+-N, NO2--N, and CODMn with lower operational costs.

Conclusions:

• Diatomite-enhanced coagulation is a highly effective technology for treating algae-polluted raw water.
• The technology demonstrates strong potential for practical application and widespread adoption in water treatment.
• Mechanisms likely involve adsorption bridging and sweep flocculation for enhanced pollutant removal.