Wastewater renovation using constructed soil filter (CSF): A novel approach

• Published in: Journal of hazardous materials 2009-10, Vol.170 (2), p.657-665
• Main Authors: Nemade, P.D., Kadam, A.M., Shankar, H.S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adsorption; Air Pollution; Ambience; Animals; Applied sciences; Arsenic - isolation & purification; Chemical engineering; Constructed soil filter; Construction; Dissolution; Environmental Restoration and Remediation - economics; Environmental Restoration and Remediation - methods; Eukaryota; Exact sciences and technology; Filtration; General purification processes; Industrial Waste; Iron - isolation & purification; Liquid-liquid and fluid-solid mechanical separations; Oligochaeta; Oxidation; Pathogen; Pollution; Rain; Reactors; Recycling; Sedimentation; Settling; Soil (material); Soil - analysis; Soil Microbiology; Swimming Pools; Waste Disposal, Fluid - economics; Waste Disposal, Fluid - methods; Waste water; Wastewater; Wastewaters; Water Pollutants, Chemical - isolation & purification; Water quality; Water Supply; Water treatment and pollution
• ISSN: 0304-3894; 1873-3336
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2009.05.015

Constructed soil filter (CSF) also known as Soil Biotechnology (SBT) is a process for water renovation which makes use of formulated media with culture of soil macro- and microorganisms. CSF combines sedimentation, infiltration and biodegradation processes to remove oxidizable organics and inorganics of wastewater in a single facility. Operating experience shows hydraulic loading in the range of 0.05–0.25 m 3/m 2 h and organic loading up to 200–680 g/m 2 d. The results show increase in dissolved oxygen levels, COD removal (from 352 mg/l to 20 mg/l); BOD removal (from 211 mg/l to 7.0 mg/l); suspended solids removal (from 293 mg/l to 16 mg/l); turbidity reduction (from 145 NTU to 5.3 NTU); iron (from 5 mg/l to 0.3 mg/l); arsenic (from 500 μg/l to 10 μg/l); total coliform and fecal coliform removal (from 145 × 10 5 to 55 CFU/100 mL and 150 × 10 8 to 110 CFU/100 mL respectively), with desired pathogen levels as per WHO standards, i.e. ≤10 3 CFU/100 mL. CSF reveals advantages such as low HRT (0.5–2.0 h), low energy requirement (0.04 kW h/m 3), no pre-treatment, high dissolved oxygen levels in the effluent, no biosludge production, no mechanical aeration and no odor, fish compatible water quality and evergreen ambience.