Biological activated carbon fluidized-bed system to treat gasoline-contaminated groundwater
- Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States)
- Michigan Biotechnology Inst., East Lansing, MI (United States)
- EFX Systems, Inc., Lansing, MI (United States)
An integrated biological granular activated carbon fluidized-bed reactor (GAC-FBR) and a biological fluidized-bed reactor (FBR) charged with nonactivated carbon were evaluated for treating groundwater contaminated with the gasoline constituents benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX). The systems were studied under several conditions including startup, steady-state, and step-load increase conditions. Development of bioactivity in the GAC-FBR was faster than in the FBR using a nonactivated carbon biomass carrier. Under two steady-state conditions, organic loading rates of 3 and 6 kg-chemical oxygen demand (COD)/m{sup 3}-day, BTX removal was similar in the two systems with more than 90% of applied BTX removed. The GAC-FBR produced superior effluent quality during step organic load rate (OLR) increases compared to the FBR. The results from an extremely high step OLR increase show the formation of partial oxidization products from the degradation of BTX. Significant adsorption capacity was still observed after the biofilm developed, although capacity gradually decreased over a 6-month period of operation to approximately 50% of its original value.
- OSTI ID:
- 479340
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950483--; ISBN 1-57477-010-1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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