AWWA WQTC69480

Biological treatment of drinking water to remove manganese (Mn) is an attractiveoption for some communities as it relies on less chemical inputs and the systemrobustness has been reported to be high. However, mechanistic details that canhelp operators better understand the limitations of the technology remain poorlydocumented. Previous studies have focused on bacteria of the genus Leptothrix,identifying them as one of the predominant organisms in Mn oxidizing biofilms.This research took media from inside the biological filters of four Mn biofiltrationplants in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. The water was characterizedfor all four sites and it was found that Mn removal from all plants is virtually100%. Biofilm was detached from the sand and tested for the presence of Leptothrixusing RT-PCR DNA amplification. Results showed that only one plant containedLeptothrix in its filters while three of the four plants tested positive for MOBthrough plating. These results, along with the bench-scale data, suggest thatwhile the mechanism of oxidation observed is likely biological, Leptothrix is notnecessarily the predominant organism carrying out biological oxidation. Includes 8 references, table, figures.

Product Details

Edition:

Vol. - No.

Published:

11/01/2008

Number of Pages:

9

File Size:

1 file , 830 KB