A laboratory-scale oxic biofilm reactor using loofah sponge as support material was carried out to study its start-up characteristics and the optimum operation parameters in removing organic matter and nitrogen from domestic wastewater. It took no more than 10 days to complete microbiological cultivation and acclimation, indicating that the natural loofah sponge was a superior support material compared with some conventional ones. The influence parameter experiments showed that the hydraulic retention time (HRT) had a significant influence on the COD and NH3-N removal efficiencies, the average COD and NH3-N removal efficiencies were 83.7 and 96.9% respectively when the temperature was 25 ± 2 °C, the influent flow rate was 0.21 L/h and the HRT was 7.5 h. The loofah sponge biofilm system had a strong tolerance to organic shock loading in the present experiment. Additionally, it was found that domestic wastewater could be preferably treated with 88.9% of COD and 98.7% of NH3-N removal efficiencies with the corresponding influent concentrations of 260.0 and 26.8 mg/L, respectively. The observations obtained in the present study indicated that the loofah sponge was an excellent natural support material, potentially feasible for the present system for the treatment of the decentralized domestic wastewater.
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Research Article|
January 01 2012
Degradation of organic matter from domestic wastewater with loofah sponge biofilm reactor Available to Purchase
Liwei Zhang;
1College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
E-mail: [email protected]
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Ken Sun;
Ken Sun
2Institute of Environmental & Municipal Engineering, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450011, Henan, China
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Na Hu
Na Hu
2Institute of Environmental & Municipal Engineering, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450011, Henan, China
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Water Sci Technol (2012) 65 (1): 190–195.
Article history
Received:
May 09 2011
Accepted:
August 31 2011
Citation
Liwei Zhang, Ken Sun, Na Hu; Degradation of organic matter from domestic wastewater with loofah sponge biofilm reactor. Water Sci Technol 1 January 2012; 65 (1): 190–195. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2011.846
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