J. Environ. Res. Develop.

Journal of Environmental Research And Development Vol. 9 No. 3A, January-March 2015

MULTIMEDIA FILTER FOR DOMESTIC WASTE

WATER TREATMENT
Mangesh Gulhane and Anuja Charpe*
Department of Civil Engineering, Government College of Engineering, Amravati,
Maharashtra (INDIA)

Received September 15, 2014 Accepted February 15, 2015

ABSTRACT
Filtration is a process for separating the contaminants from wastewater by passing through the
porous media. Multimedia filter refers to a filter which utilizes three or more different media as
opposed to a sand filter that typically uses one grade of sand alone as the filtration media.
Experimental study was carried out to upgrade the conventional treatment process by
introduction of multiple media. A laboratory scale multimedia filter model consisting of three
reactors placed in series was developed for treatment of domestic wastewater. All three reactors
were packed with different combinations of packing media such as plastic scrubbers, brick bats
and aerocon stones of varying sizes. The model was operated for varying detention time. The
results obtained from this experimental study showed removal efficiency for BOD as 70%, COD
as 62% and TS as 87% for 24 hours of detention time.
Key Words : Brick bats, Domestic wastewater, Filtration, Multimedia filter, Packing media

INTRODUCTION Filtration technology is the simplest and low

cost treatment technology based on the
Wastewater is a combination of liquid or water
principle of attached growth process to treat
borne sanitation facilities from housing
wastewater by removing contaminants like
commercial or industrial facilities and COD, BOD and TS for a wide range of
instituteons, plus any groundwater surface water applications in domestic as well as industrial
and storm water that may be present waste. applications. Multimedia filters represent a
Untreated wastewater generally contains high significant improvement over single media
levels of organic material, numerous pathogennic filters. Multimedia filters are filled with a
microorganisms, as well as nutrients, heavy variety of packing media of varying sizes to a
metals and toxic compounds. If this wastewater total depth of 0.75 m to 1 m. Multimedia filter
were discharged directly into a water course, works on the principle of attached growth
serious damage might result to the many form of process. In attached growth process the
life and would contribute potential risks microorganisms are responsible for removing
transmission of the disease. Today as there is an organic materials and nutrients.5,6 The
increase in urbanization and industrialization wastewater flowing past the attached growth
with a rapidly expanding world population the are also known as biofilm packing material
used in attached growth processes which
need for cost-effective and environmentally
include rock, gravel, slag, sand, redwood and a
sound technologies for wastewater treatment is
wide range of plastic and other synthetic
required. A wastewater treatment plant is a
materials. The purpose of the present research
facility designed to remove contaminants from is to develop the promising and cost effective
wastewater originating from different sources technique for domestic wastewater treatment.
such as households, industries and surface runoff. Efforts were made to upgrade the conventional
Different types of treatment systems are available treatment processes, a laboratory scale model
depending upon the influent characteristics of the of multimedia filter was developed.7-12 The
wastewater and the desired effluent performance of attached growth system using
1-4
characteristics of the facility. different types of filter media of varying sizes
*Author for correspondence was observed.13-21
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Journal of Environmental Research And Development Vol. 9 No. 3A, January-March 2015
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES roughness of filter media. Therefore the selection
of a suitable filter media is critical part in the
To develop the multimedia filter for domestic
design of operation and multimedia filter
wastewater treatment. The main objective of the
process, in order to obtain the higher removal
experiment was to study the performance of
efficiency. In the present study different types of
multimedia filter with different packing media of
three media of varying sizes were used such as
varying sizes. The effect of detention time on the
brick bats, aerocon stones and plastic scrubbers
performance of filtration unit and the removal
efficiency of parameters like BOD, COD and TS (Fig. 1 to Fig. 3). The laboratory scale model
were studied. was fabricated with GI sheet and consists of three
reactors placed in series with upflow and down
MATERIAL AND METHODS flow regime (Table 1). The total reactor volume
Filter media was of 60 litres capacity. The model was based
A filter media is one of the prime components in on the principle of attached growth system. All
the multimedia filter system as it provides large three reactors were packed with different packing
surface area to enhance the microbial growth. media of different sizes. The depth of the media
Efficiency of multimedia filter depends upon was kept accordingly. The inlet and outlet arra-
the types of media, sizes, surface porosity and ngement were provided at appropriate locations.

Fig. 1 : Aerocon stones

Fig. 2 : Brick bats

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Journal of Environmental Research And Development Vol. 9 No. 3A, January-March 2015

Fig. 3 : Plastic Srubber

Table 1 : Flow regime the three reactors of the model

Reactor Flow regime

1st Down flow

2nd Up flow

3rd Down flow

The domestic wastewater was fed into inlet outlet level the treated effluent was collected
tank cum pre-sedimentation tank. The in the outlet tank.
wastewater from inlet tank enters the inlet The model was packed with burnt brick bats,
chamber and flows in sequence i.e. from the aerocon stones and plastic scrubbers as
first reactor to the last reactor and then packing media in layered configuration. The
enters the collecting chamber and was first reactor was packed with media size 45-
collected from the outlet. The wastewater 37.5 mm. The second reactor was packed with
from the inlet chamber enters the first media size 37.5-25 mm and the third reactor
reactor through the perforated PVC pipes. was packed with media size 16-20 mm. The
The perforated PVC pipes were provided so wastewater was allowed to flow from the first
as to provide uniform distribution throughout reactor to the third reactor in the down flow,
the reactor. The wastewater thus passes up flow and down flow regime.
uniformly through the first reactor and gets
partially treated and enters the second RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
reactor. The wastewater which was partially During the study, the effluent was collected
treated in the first reactor moves to the in the collection tank and was analyzed for
second reactor in up flow regime. The various parameters such as pH, BOD, COD
wastewater thus rises uniformly at the same and TS. Throughout the study the
time it gets treated. The wastewater from the
multimedia filter was operated for varying
second reactor enters the third reactor in a
detention time of 18hrs, 21hrs and 24hrs. It
uniform manner through the perforated PVC
pipes. The wastewater thus passes uniformly was observed that removal efficiency for
through the third reactor and gets treated and BOD was 70%, COD was 62% and TS was
enters the collecting chamber by the up flow 87% for 24 hours of detention time
movement. The wastewater was collected in (Table 2). The multimedia filter process
the collecting chamber and after reaching the gave best results for TS removal.
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Table 2 : Performance of the model at 24 hours detention time
Raw sewage Treated sewage Percent increase / Removal
S/N
pH BOD COD TS pH BOD COD TS pH BOD COD TS
1 7.23 191 340 350 8.19 83 162 45 13.27 56.54 61.17 87.14
2 7.28 213 410 400 8.11 77 203 65 11.40 63.84 50.48 83.75
3 7.37 261 330 399 8.23 103 148 60 11.66 60.53 61.21 84.96
4 7.54 186 365 250 8.37 71 169 43 11.00 61.82 53.69 82.80
5 7.09 222 372 289 8.07 99 179 42 13.82 55.40 57.52 85.46
6 7.36 157 410 365 8.20 51 192 53 11.41 67.51 53.17 85.47
7 7.16 243 390 390 8.14 78 149 49 13.68 67.90 61.79 87.43
8 7.44 239 367 412 8.29 73 144 72 11.42 69.45 60.76 82.52
9 7.39 247 380 245 8.26 75 161 32 11.77 69.63 57.63 86.93
10 7.31 234 372 277 8.24 97 178 49 12.72 58.54 52.15 82.31

CONCLUSION 2. Ahmedi F. and Pelivanoski P., Bottom ash

behaviour as a filter material of bed filters on
Multimedia filtration technology has potential for small scale on-site wastewater treatment
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filters are the recent development in the filtration (2012).
technology which involves use of multiple media 3. Affam A. and Adlan M., Operational
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sand used in the conventional sand filters. It can filter for pre treatment of leachate using
also be concluded from the study that the limestone filter media, J. Urb. Environ.
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treatment process for domestic wastewater. The 4. Colin X., Farinet J. L., Rojas O. and Alazard
recent developments in the media types such as D., Anaerobic treatment of cassava starch
porous aerocon stones and plastic media have extraction wastewater using a horizontal
flow filter with bamboo as support, Biores.
expanded new areas for study. Also the above
Technol., 98(1), 1602-1607, (2007).
media may enhance the performance of the
5. Deka B., Sahariah B. and Chakraborty S.,
treatment system. Hence this technology is
Anaerobic-anoxic-aerobic three stage
environment friendly and cost effective. attached growth system for removal of
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ammonia–nitrogen and high concentration of
phenol, J. Environ. Res. Develop., 3(2), 442-
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Tatewar, Head Department of Civil Engineering, 6. Havard P., Jamieson R., Cudmore D.,
Government College of Engineering Amravati, Boutilier L. and Gordon R., Performance
Maharashtra, India for their valuable guidance, and hydraulics of lateral flow sand filters for
encouragement and tremendous support. on-site wastewater treatment, J. Hydrol.
Engin., 13(8a), 720-728, (2008).
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