Removal of Fe and Mn from the groundwater by using zeolite with Rossellomorea sp.

Abstract

Groundwater is one of the alternatives to surface water that can be used for drinking water; however, it normally exists with high iron and manganese content. In this study, a column study was conducted to observe the elimination of iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) in the groundwater under different retention times by using zeolite immobilised with iron-oxidising bacteria (IOB). Rossellomorea sp. representing an IOB, was found from the isolation process and was further cultured in the laboratory for immobilization into the natural zeolite as replacement materials for the sand filter. When the zeolite assisted with the Rossellomorea sp. was used, the elimination of Fe and Mn were 99.34% and 88.92%, respectively, compared to the removal of Fe and Mn, which were 93.62% and 93.73%, respectively, for media without immobilization. The presence of Rossellomorea sp. enhances the Fe oxidation, resulting in high removal of Fe. The Thomas and Yoon-Nelson models were performed in both raw zeolite and zeolite with IOB. The total coliform (MPN) increased from 70.8 to 307.6 MPN/100 mL due to the Rossellomorea sp. present that promotes the growth of coliform bacteria. In conclusion, the immobilization of zeolite with IOB is a potential technique to extract the Fe and Mn in the groundwater.