Recent Advances in Biofiltration for PPCP Removal from Water

Abstract

As emerging pollutants, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in water have attracted more and more attention because of their harmfulness to the ecosystem and human health. Due to the perpetual input from sewage/wastewater effluents, landfill leachates, urban/agricultural runoff, etc., PPCPs in the aquatic environment are generally “pseudo-persistent”. Conventional filtration in the water treatment process cannot effectively remove PPCPs, while biofiltration, a synergistic combination of adsorption and biodegradation, is an effective upgrade method that has received great attention and application in recent years. This paper systematically reviewed the principle of biofiltration and its efficiency in the removal of PPCPs. The important operational parameters influencing biofiltration performance such as filter media, temperature, backwash conditions, empty bed contact time, etc. were summarized. In addition, the limitations and prospects of the current research on biofiltration were also pointed out.