Biofiltration in wastewater treatment plants: An overview

Abstract

Biofilters or biological filters are a technology that uses attached biomass on a media to degrade and remove pollutants from the air, water, and wastewater treatment plants. They are natural systems which are engineered and simulated to remove a varied range of contaminants, that is, organic matter, suspended solids, natural organic matter, and organic micropollutants. Biofiltration systems are popular among wastewater treatment process due to its simple operation, robust nature, and low energy requirement. Trickling filters, aerated biological filters, and membrane bioreactors are some of the popular biofiltration systems used for wastewater treatment. The efficiency of the biofiltration systems depends on the nature, composition, and community structure of microorganisms in the biofilm developed on the medium. Immobilized biofilters are also popular in wastewater treatment. This chapter would provide an overview on the concept of biofiltration, the mechanism involved, types, and application of biofiltration process. The chapter will also throw light on the microbial ecology and community structure of the biological filters. Further, the different methods of identification of the microbial community will also be discussed in the chapter. � 2022 Elsevier Inc.