Engineered biofiltration: Enhanced biofilter performance through nutrient and peroxide addition

A pilot-scale study identified two enhancement strategies nutrient and peroxide dosing that improved both water quality and hydraulic performance of a biofilter. These strategies control the formation of extracellular polymeric substances (a potential foulant of biological filters) while maintaining or increasing microbial activity. Biofilter nutrient enhancement was found to decrease terminal head loss by similar to 15% relative to a control biofilter with no nutrient enhancement. Nutrient enhancement also sustainably decreased the breakthrough of 2-methylisoborneol (MIB), manganese (Mn), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Peroxide enhancement was performed to increase the oxidative action of biofilter microorganisms and promote the oxidation of inactive biomass. The peroxide enhancement strategy decreased terminal head loss up to similar to 60% relative to a control biofilter. This case study is an important step in moving the practice of biofiltration from a passive process, operated solely based on conventional filtration objectives, to a purposefully operated biological system, i.e., engineered biofiltration.