Fixed-Bed Biologically Active Carbon (BAC) Bioreactors Remove Multiple Contaminants Simultaneously

摘要

Natural waters often contain multiple contaminants, such as nitrate, perchlorate, arsenic, uranium, and chromium. Advanced physical-chemical processes such as reverse osmosis and ion exchange may remove these contaminants. However, the requirement of further treatment of the generated wastes or regeneration of exhausted materials (e.g., ion exchange resins) often makes these processes cost-prohibitive. In contrast, biological processes provide attractive treatment alternatives, as multiple contaminants can be converted to innocuous, less toxic, or easily separable compounds (1, 2). In addition, biological processes allow high recovery, while minimizing the energy and chemical requirements (3). This translates into lower overall operating and maintenance costs.