Biological Activated Carbon Treatment of Waste Water Containing Organics and Heavy Metal Ions

Abstract

Biological activated carbon treatment was applied to treat waste water which contained small amount of refractory organic pollutants, such as anionic surfactants, and small amount of heavy metal ions, such as cupric ion and chromic ion, with plenty of sodium salts. As a result, about a half of organic substances was removed. Removal ratios for ionic species of copper and chromium were about 80% and 30%, respectively. Heavy-metallic ions were removed from the waste water by uptake in microorganisms, while organic substances were removed by biological decomposition and/or adsorption.