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Development of attapulgite composite ceramsite/quartz sand double-layer biofilter for micropolluted drinking source water purification

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Abstract

This study compared start-up and steady-state affecting factors of attapulgite composite ceramsite/quartz sand double-layer biofilter (ACC/QSDLBF) and quartz sand single-layer biofilter (QSSLBF) on micropolluted drinking source water treatment. Results showed that the ACC has suitable pore size distribution in the range of 5–850 nm which is conducive to biofiltration. Turbidity removal efficiency of ACC/QSDLBF was a little lower than QSSLBF, but organic matters and ammonia removal efficiencies of ACC/QSDLBF were much higher than QSSLBF due to biodegradation and nitrification by microorganisms colonizing on the ACC. At stable state, the growth of head loss for ACC/QSDLBF was lower than that of QSSLBF. The complete filtration cycle of ACC/QSDLBF was 52 h. The total CODMn removal rate of ACC/QSDLBF was 20.93 %, in which 90 % of removed total CODMn was achieved at the upper 60 cm of ACC filter layer. The removal of CODMn decreased from 35.89 to 13.16 % in ACC/QSDLBF when increasing hydraulic loading from 2 to 16 m/h. After analysis of efficient EBCT in ACC/QSDLBF, optimized hydraulic loading was 12 m/h. These conclusions would be helpful to practical application of ACC as functional material for new construction of waterworks, especially upgrading of existing waterworks treating micropolluted drinking source water.

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Acknowledgments

The authors express their sincere gratitude to the Housing and Urban and Rural Construction Technology Program of the Ministry of Science and Project (2011-K7-2), the project of Jiangsu government scholarship for study abroad (2012196) and a project funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of the Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD) for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, 159 Longpan Road, Nanjing, 210037, China

    Z. Wang & M. G. Zhong

  2. Advanced Environmental Biotechnology Centre, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, Singapore, 637141, Singapore

    Z. Wang, J. F. Wan, G. J. Xu & Y. Liu

  3. School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore

    J. F. Wan & Y. Liu

  4. School of Chemical Engineering and Energy, Zhengzhou University, 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China

    J. F. Wan

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  1. Z. Wang
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  2. M. G. Zhong
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  3. J. F. Wan
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  4. G. J. Xu
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  5. Y. Liu
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Correspondence to Z. Wang.

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Wang, Z., Zhong, M.G., Wan, J.F. et al. Development of attapulgite composite ceramsite/quartz sand double-layer biofilter for micropolluted drinking source water purification. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 13, 825–834 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-015-0920-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-015-0920-0

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