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Effect of filtration rates on the performance and head loss development in granular filters during the post-treatment of anaerobic reactor effluent

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Abstract

This study investigated the performance of a granular filtration system (GFS) composed of a rock filter (RF), a rapid sand filter (RSF), and an activated carbon filter (ACF), applied to the post-treatment of an anaerobic reactor effluent. Four filtration rates (FR) were applied to the GFS (in m3·m−2·d−1): 100–60-60, 100–90-90, 200–120-120, and 200–160-160, for RF-RSF-ACF, respectively. A clarified final effluent with low turbidity (~ 10 NTU), solids (~ 6.5 mg TSS.L−1), and organic matter content (~ 40 mg COD.L−1) was obtained when the GFS worked with FR up to 100–90-90 m3·m−2·d−1. For higher FR, the effluent quality was a little poorer. Principal component analysis showed when the RSF operated at 120 or 160 m3·m−2·d−1, it presented an effluent with higher turbidity which did not affect negatively the ACF performance. The hydraulic load limits in the RSF were reached in periods of 45, 30, and 24.5 h for the FR of 60, 120, and 160 m3·m−2·d−1, respectively, and head loss analysis depicted a more distributed solid retention through the sand depth with the lower FR. Thus, the results revealed that the RF-RSF-ACS system is a promising alternative for effluent polishing of anaerobic reactor, especially when the FR is set at 90 m3·m−2·d−1 or even higher.

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Data availability

Raw data were generated at the Federal University of Pernambuco and are available at https://repositorio.ufpe.br/handle/123456789/29106. Derived data supporting the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author [Wanderli Rogério Moreira Leite].

Abbreviations

ACF :

activated carbon filter

ACF1, 2, 3, 4 :

activated carbon filter under operational condition 1, 2, 3, 4

EColi :

Escherichia coli

FR :

filtration rate

FR1, 2, 3, 4 :

Filtration rates applied to each filter under operational condition 1, 2, 3, 4

GFS :

granular filtration system

GFS1, 2, 3, 4 :

granular filtration system under operational condition 1, 2, 3, 4

GAC :

granular activated carbon

HL :

head loss

MPN :

most probable number

PCA :

principal component analysis

PC1, 2, 3 :

principal component 1, 2, 3

p-value :

descriptive level of probability test

P1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 :

piezometer 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

PVC :

polyvinyl chloride

R 2 :

coefficient of linear regression fit

RF :

rock filter

RHL :

relative head loss

RSF :

rapid sand filter

RSF1, 2, 3, 4 :

rapid sand filter under operational condition 1, 2, 3, 4

RSF-ACF :

rapid sand filter and activated carbon filter set

SCOD :

soluble chemical oxygen demand

TCOD :

total chemical oxygen demand

TColi :

total coliforms

TSS :

total suspended solids

TURB :

turbidity

UASB :

upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor

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Acknowledgements

The authors want to acknowledge the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and the Foundation for the Support of Science and Technology of Pernambuco Sate (FACEPE) for the financial support (PRONEX/NUTREL project) and to the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) for granting scholarships. The authors also express their gratitude to the Agency of Financing Studies and Projects (FINEP) for supporting the project National Network of Decentralized Sewage Treatment (RENTED), Fibra Ambiental Enegnharia for the cession and support in the operation of pilot reactors and filters, and Pernambuco Sanitation Company (COMPESA) and BRK Ambiental for supporting the experimental work and sample collection at the Rio Formoso and the Mangueira STP.

Funding

This work received support from the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), the Foundation for the Support of Science and Technology of Pernambuco Sate (FACEPE), and the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES). The authors also express their gratitude to the Agency of Financing Studies and Projects (FINEP) (Reference number 1859/10), for supporting the project National Network of Decentralized Sewage Treatment (RENTED).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Laboratory of Environmental Sanitation, Federal University of Pernambuco, Av. Acadêmico Hélio Ramos, S/N, Cidade Universitária, Recife PE, CEP 50740-530, Brazil

    Wanderli Rogério Moreira Leite, Bruno Delvaz Linhares, Savia Gavazza, Lourdinha Florencio & Mario Takayuki Kato

  2. Department of Infrastructure and Civil Construction, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Luiz Freire 500, Cidade Universitária, Recife PE, CEP 50740-545, Brazil

    Juliana Cardoso de Morais

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  1. Wanderli Rogério Moreira Leite
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Contributions

Wanderli Rogério Moreira Leite: software, data curation, formal analysis, writing—original draft preparation, writing—review and editing. Bruno Delvaz Linhares: data acquisition, methodology, writing—original draft preparation. Juliana Cardoso de Morais: methodology, formal analysis. Sávia Gavazza: methodology, writing—reviewing and editing. Lourdinha Florencio: methodology, writing—original draft. Mario Takayuki Kato: funding acquisition, project administration, resources, writing—review and editing.

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Correspondence to Wanderli Rogério Moreira Leite.

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Leite, W.R.M., Linhares, B.D., de Morais, J.C. et al. Effect of filtration rates on the performance and head loss development in granular filters during the post-treatment of anaerobic reactor effluent. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 84023–84034 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-28335-w

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