Biofiltration, or filtration with granular media supporting an active biomass, has immense potential for simultaneous removal of a multitude of contaminants, including contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). The use of biofiltration beyond physical removal of turbidity requires further study to assess the extent of removal of different classes of CECs as well as the impact of water quality parameters (e.g., nutrients, assimilable organic carbon) on biofilter performance. Using pilot-scale anthracite-sand and granular activated carbon (GAC)-sand dual media filters, we evaluate removal of a representative suite of CECs (e.g., acetaminophen, gemfibrozil) at environmentally relevant (ng/L) concentrations in a real water matrix (raw Colorado River water) during biofiltration. CEC removal is assessed in the context of other biological activity (e.g., nitrification, mineralization of manganese) and with the use of pre-ozonation as pretreatment. Biodegradation of contaminants is further examined with elevated levels of CECs, which notably include 1 µg/L of the antibiotics sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim, and in the presence of taste and odor compounds. Biofilter performance for removal of CECs is linked to biomass via quantification of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and microbial diversity ascertained from 16s rRNA gene sequencing of biomass on filter media. Ultimately, we contend that biofiltration provides a versatile platform to meet the evolving demands of water treatment based on demonstrated concurrent removal of multiple CECs.

Simultaneous removal of multiple contaminants of emerging concern via biofiltration

253rd National Meeting (2017)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.