Full Description

Biologically active filters (BAFs) areapplied in drinking water treatment toremove contaminants such as naturalorganic matter, nitrate, trace organic compounds,perchlorate, sulfate, iron, andmanganese. BAFs and other biologicalwater treatment processes make use ofmicrobial communities to metabolize contaminantsthrough mediating oxidation-reduction reactions.This study was undertaken first toaddress the lack of knowledge about microbialcommunities in BAFs and associatedtreatment units upstream and downstreamand second to pinpoint ways to control orimprove filtration performance. A comprehensivereview is provided of state-of-the-artknowledge about BAFs, their operatingparameters, and microbiologicalapproaches to control of biological activityin the filters.Controlling biofilm thickness and producingmicrobial communities fully adapted totargeted contaminants constitute significantscientific and engineering challenges. A betterunderstanding of the microbial communitiesin BAFs will help identify solutions tooptimize their performance, alleviate concernsabout pathogenic breakthrough, andlower operating costs.

Includes 127 references, table, figure.

Product Details

Edition: Vol. 102 - No. 12 Published: 12/01/2010 File Size: 1 file , 560 KB