Effect of Hydraulic and Organic Load, in the Removal of Biochemical Oxygen Demand in Wastewater using Biofilter with Vegetable Carbon, in High Andean Climate

Abstract

Generating new sustainable alternatives in the design of trickling filters for rural populations is necessary to improve the quality of discharges and optimize the design of secondary treatment units. The study determined the impact of hydraulic and organic charge on the removal of BOD in the environment charcoal biofilter. Biofilters prototypes were implemented at scale with charcoal filter medium on different surfaces that vary from 0.12 to 0.25 m2, carried out at an elevation of 2100 meters above sea level, the final concentration most effective in removing BOD obtained hydraulic load of 2.34 to 4.76 m3m−2d−1 and the organic load between 0.27 to 0.56 kg DBO m−3. The results of the Biofilter experiments determined that the hydraulic load generated a better distribution and mixing of the residual water throughout the trickling bed, achieving a good reaction and effective combination between the water that entered and the amount of air required to complete the aerobic process. and to achieve the removal of BOD, the organic load obtained in the measurements concentrates enough biomass that helps in the formation of the biofilm, for which it is concluded that this criterion has a determining effect on the reduction of organic matter in domestic wastewater, it is confirmed that the charcoal biofilter is efficient and can be used in small systems of wastewater treatment plants.