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Effect of operating factors on the contaminants removal of a soil filter: multi-soil-layering system

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Abstract

As a soil filter, the multi-soil-layering (MSL) system has several advantages over some other conventional soil-based systems, including higher hydraulic load rate (HLR) and lower probability of clogging. However, the role of operating factors on the performance of MSL is insufficiently understood, and this limits its further application to some extent. The present paper provides a holistic overview of the crucial operating parameters, including clogging and HLR, aeration, media composition and structure, temperature, and C/N ratio. In particular, clogging and HLR are discussed extensively, since they could cause much greater deterioration over the lifetime of the soil filter than the other factors. There are currently few relevant reports regarding the balance between maintaining the reasonable range of HLR and minimizing less chance of clogging. To fill this research gap, this paper proposes two applicable ways to reduce the opportunity for clogging, namely, system suspension and/or enhanced aeration, which will be time-saving and low cost. In addition, to increase the denitrification capacity of MSL, effluent recirculation is proposed, a novel recommendation based on the municipal wastewater treatment processes, which could also improve the controllability of MSL from the perspective of biochemical reaction.

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Acknowledgments

The research was partially subsidized by scholarship from Demonstration Base of Water Quality Improvement and Ecosystem Restoration at Lakeside Zone of Taihu Xincheng (2012ZX07101-013-02), and Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology (NUIST, No. 2013x010). The authors also thank the anonymous reviewer and the editor for their valuable comments and constructive suggestions to improve the quality of this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China

    Yidong Guan

  2. School of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215007, China

    Yuan Zhang

  3. Wuxi Taihu Lake Management Company Limited, Wuxi, 214063, China

    Chun-Ni Zhong & Xiao-Feng Huang

  4. Department of Civil Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36832, USA

    Jie Fu & Dongye Zhao

Authors
  1. Yidong Guan
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  2. Yuan Zhang
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  3. Chun-Ni Zhong
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  4. Xiao-Feng Huang
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  5. Jie Fu
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  6. Dongye Zhao
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Correspondence to Yidong Guan, Jie Fu or Dongye Zhao.

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Guan, Y., Zhang, Y., Zhong, CN. et al. Effect of operating factors on the contaminants removal of a soil filter: multi-soil-layering system. Environ Earth Sci 74, 2679–2686 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-4288-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-4288-8

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