Start-up process of biological activated carbon filter

Abstract

The biomass, biological activity and metabolic function of microorganisms, and water quality parameters were monitored at the start-up stage of biological activated carbon filter with natural biofilm colonization. The results demonstrated that variation in heterotrophic plate counts liked S-curve at the start-up time in biological activated carbon filter, similar to the tendency of microbial growth. Namely, the development of microbial community in the filter had obviously lag phase, exponential phase, and stationary phase, etc. Activity of dehydrogenase gradually increased within 30 days of start-up process, then reached a plateau. The metabolic function of microbial community in the filter tended to increase over the start-up process, the richness and Shannon diversity indices got to a relatively stable level on 40th day. After a change process of decrease-slight increase-stability, the removal rate of NH4+-N and CODMn were about 80% and 28% on 40th day, respectively. The consumption rate of dissolved oxygen remained steady after 29 days, and stayed at about 18%. The detection of growth and metabolism of microorganisms and water quality may help judge whether the biofilm is mature or not during the process of biofilm Colonization.