Enhanced Ripening of Slow Sand Filters
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 126, Issue 12
Abstract
While successful in removing turbidity and pathogens from drinking water, slow sand filters require ripening periods at the beginning of each filter run. The premise of this research was that it should be possible to enhance the ripening of slow sand filters. Potential ripening agents were screened by assessing their interaction with the surface of filtration media and turbidity particles. Four natural organic polymers and nine synthetic polymers were investigated for their potential to enhance filter ripening. Of the 13 modifying agents considered, none conclusively sorbed to the filter media, and only one, a synthetic polymer, interacted with kaolin particles. A filter modified with continuous feed of the polymer ripened successfully and produced water with turbidity below 1.0 NTU in about 24 h. Most turbidity removal in the treated filter occurred in the schmutzdecke rather than within the depth of the filter bed. Hence, the mechanism of enhanced ripening in this case probably was particle agglomeration with resulting acceleration of particle deposition at the filter surface accompanied by straining or attachment to previously removed particles.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Alldredge, A. L., Passow, U., and Logan, B. E. ( 1993). “The abundance and significance of a class of large, transparent organic particles in the ocean.” Deep-Sea Res. I, 40(6), 1131–1140.
2.
Bellamy, W. D., Silverman, G. P., Hendricks, D. W., and Logsdon, G. S. ( 1985). “Removing Giardia cysts with slow sand filtration.” J. Am. Water Works Assn., 77(2), 52–60.
3.
Collins, M. R., Eighmy, T. T., Fenstermacher, J. M., and Spanos, S. K. ( 1992). “Removing natural organic matter by conventional slow sand filtration.” J. Am. Water Works Assn., 84(5), 80–90.
4.
DiNorscia, K. L. ( 1997). “Enhanced ripening of slow sand filters.” Undergraduate Honors thesis submitted to General Electric Foundation Faculty for the Future Program, School of Civ. and Envir. Engrg., Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., 26.
5.
Fogel, D., Isaac-Renton, J., Guasparini, R., Moorehead, W., and Ongerth, J. ( 1993). “Removing Giardia and Cryptosporidium by slow sand filtration.” J. Am. Water Works Assn., 85(11), 77–84.
6.
Graham, N. J. D. ( 1988). Slow sand filtration: Recent developments in water treatment technology, Ellis Horwood, Ltd., Chichester, England, 416.
7.
Logan, B. E., Passow, U., Alldredge, A. L., Grossart, H. P., and Simon, M. ( 1995). “Rapid formation and sedimentation of large aggregates is predictable from coagulation rates (half-lives) of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP).” Deep-Sea Res. II, 42(1), 203–214.
8.
Passow, U., and Alldredge, A. L. ( 1995). “A dye-binding assay for the spectrophotometric measurement of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP).” Limnology and Oceanography, 40(7), 1326–1335.
9.
Passow, U., Alldredge, A. L., and Logan, B. E. ( 1994). “The role of particulate carbohydrate exudates in the flocculation of diatom blooms.” Deep-Sea Res. I, 41(2), 335–357.
10.
Schuler, P. F., Ghosh, M. M., and Gopalan, P. ( 1991). “Slow sand and diatomaceous earth filtration of cysts and other particulates.” Water Res., 25(8), 995–1005.
11.
Weber-Shirk, M. L., and Dick, R. I. ( 1997a). “Physical-chemical mechanisms in slow sand filters.” J. Am. Water Works Assn., 89(1), 87–100.
12.
Weber-Shirk, M. L., and Dick, R. I. ( 1997b). “Biological mechanisms in slow sand filters.” J. Am. Water Works Assn., 89(2), 72–83.
13.
Weber-Shirk, M. L., and Dick, R. I. ( 1998). “Bacterivory by a chrysophyte in slow sand filters.” Water Res., 33(3), 631–638.
14.
Wotton, R. S. ( 1996). “Colloids, bubbles, and aggregates—A perspective on their role in suspension feeding.” J. North Am. Benthological Soc., 15(1), 127–135.
15.
Wright, A. G. ( 1997). “Battling a bad bug: Cryptosporidium is pushing big changes in drinking water treatment techniques.” Engrg. News-Record, 238(22), 24–27.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
History
Received: Aug 2, 1998
Published online: Dec 1, 2000
Published in print: Dec 2000
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.