Anaerobic-Activated Carbon Filters for the Removal of Refractory and Toxic Organic Compounds in Wastewater

摘要

An anaerobic filter with granular activated carbon was developed and tested for the effective and energy efficient treatment of waste water containing phenolic compounds. Two identical experimental reactors consisting of four jacketed columns and three clarifiers connected in series were tested. Each column had a reversible recirculation pump for the recirculation of the aqueous contents around each individual reactor. Granular activated carbon served as a media for microbial attachment, substrate concentration, and polarization. A feed substrate flow rate of 2 ml/min giving a total empty bed contact time of 46.48 hours was used with a recirculation flow rate of 50 ml/min. Two phenolic compounds, catechol and o-cresol, were tested at different organic loading rates in the reactors. While this study showed the potential of the anaerobic-activated carbon filter in the treatment of phenolic compounds, more investigation is recommended.