J Water SRT - Aqua 51 (2002) 35-46

Impact of filtration material on nitrification in biological filters used in drinking water production

A. Kihn, A. Andersson, P. Laurent, P. Servais and M. Prévost

Ecologie des Systèmes Aquatiques, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Campus de la Plaine, CP 221, Boulevard du Triomphe, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium Tel: (32)-2-650 59 95; Fax: (32)-2-650 59 93; E-mail: pservais@ulb.ac.be

NSERC Industrial Chair on Drinking Water, Civil, Geological and Mining engineering, Ecole Polytechnique of Montreal, CP 6079, succ. Centre-Ville, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3C 3A7

NSERC Industrial Chair on Drinking Water, Civil, Geological and Mining engineering, Ecole Polytechnique of Montreal, CP 6079, succ. Centre-Ville, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3C 3A7

Ecologie des Systèmes Aquatiques, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Campus de la Plaine, CP 221, Boulevard du Triomphe, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium Tel: (32)-2-650 59 95; Fax: (32)-2-650 59 93; E-mail: pservais@ulb.ac.be

NSERC Industrial Chair on Drinking Water, Civil, Geological and Mining engineering, Ecole Polytechnique of Montreal, CP 6079, succ. Centre-Ville, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3C 3A7

The presence of ammonia during drinking water production can be the source of several water quality problems during distribution and during disinfection when chlorine is used. It is therefore important to optimize the ammonia removal before disinfection. The purpose of this work was to compare nitrification on an opened superstructure (Picabiol) and two closed superstructure (Picacarb and Calgon F400) granular activated carbon (GAC) during colonization of new filters and after longer operating times in pilot and full-scale filters. Fixed nitrifying biomass levels, ammonia removal and oxygen consumption were monitored at high and low temperatures and at two different ammonia loadings. In first stage pilot filters supplied by an ammonia concentration higher than 0.4 mg l^-1 N-NH₄ and at temperatures higher than 20^oC, nitrification capacity was higher on Picabiol than on Picacarb. At low temperature, no ammonia removal occurred on both materials. Calgon and Picabiol provided equal nitrification performances. In full-scale second stage filters fed with ammonia concentrations ranging from 0.02 to 0.16 mg l^-1 N-NH₄, nitrification performances were similar on Picabiol and on Calgon. In cold water, none of these filtration materials provided a proper nitrification; nitrifying biomass, however, did not disappear on the GAC filters during winter.

Full article (PDF Format)