Trickling Filters

Consists of tanks of coarse filtering media over which pretreated waste water (must have
undergone screening and primary sedimentation) is allowed to sprinkle or trickle down by means
of spray nozzles or rotary distributors.

The trickling sewage is collects at the bottom of the tank through a well designed under drainage
system.

The purification of the sewage as it trickles down is brought about by the development of a
microbial film around the particles filtering media.

The bacteria which constitute most of those films oxidizes the sewage as it flows past

In the aerobic sub-layer the substrate is partially oxidized to provide energy for the biological
process. Another part of this substrate is utilized to synthesize new slime material or bacteria
cells.

In the anaerobic sub layer decomposition takes place with formation of organic acid, methane,
CO2 etc.
In the trickling filter organics are removed by aerobic oxidization, coagulation biosorption
(biological absorption) and anaerobic decomposition. The action due to the mechanical straining
of the filter bed is much less.

There is a tendency of the bacteria in the anaerobic sub layer to die off due to inadequate
substrates.

The bacteria which die off detaches itself from the stone surface, this is called sloughing off and
is wasted down through the filter media.

The effluent obtained from the filter must be taken to the secondary sedimentation tanks for
settling down/out of the organic matter which has oxidized while passing down the filter.

Influent sewage is usually distributed by a mechanically rotating arm or a longitudinally

travelling mechanism

Filter Types

Trickling filters are broadly classified as

(i) Conventional or Standard rate and (ii) High Rate Filters

The two types differ from each other in filter loading and method of operation e.g. in the high
rate filter, loading in terms of surface area (i.e. hydraulic loading) is 5 - 15 times that of standard
rate filter and in terms of BOD (i.e. organic loading) it is 4 - 5 times as much.

The high rate filter depends for its operation on recirculation of sewage through the filter by
pumping a part or all of the filter effluent to the primary sedimentation tank and the filter again.

Typical Design Characteristics

S/No. Characteristics Standard or conventional filter High rate filter

1 Depth of filter media 1.6 - 2.4 m 1.2 - 1.8 m

2 Size of filter media 25 - 75 mm 25 - 60 mm

Filter loading values (i) Hydraulic

3 22 - 44 * 106 l/h.a.d 110 - 330 * 106 L / h /d
loading

900 - 2200 Kg BOD5 /hectare metre of filter 6000 - 10000 Kg BOD5 /ha metre of filter
(ii) Organic loading
volume volume
Always provided for incresed hydrolic
4 Recirculation Not provided generally
loading

5 Land required More land is required Less land is required

6 Coast of operation More for treating equal quantity of sewage Less

7 Method of operation
8 Type of efficient produced
9 Quality of secondary sludge produced
Continous application of the waste water and
less skilled supervision
The effluent is very stable being high in
nitrates and BOD removed is between 56 -
98%
Bblack - highly oxidized with light particles
Continous application but requires mass
skilled operation
Effluent is less stable being deticiate in
nitrates. BOD reduction is 63 - 78%
Brown - not fully oxidized with fine
particles

Filter Arrangement
1. Single Stage Filters

(PC: Primary clarifier; F: Filter; SC: Secondary clarifier; R: Recycle)

2. Two Stage Filters
Reason for Recirculation

1. It allows continuous dozing of the filters regardless of any fluctuation in the flow
2. It provide longer contact time of sewage and the bacterial film on the media thus more
purification
3. It reintroduces some of the micro - organism already adapted to the system

Process Design

QR
Accord to studies of natural research council of U.S.A the ratio i.e. the volume of sewage re-
QI
circulated QR to the volume of raw sewage QI called the recirculation ration R, is an important
feature in obtaining the required degree of treatment.

The re- circulation ratio R is related to the recirculation factor F in the expression
1 R
F .  F indicates the number of effective passages through the filter. Various re-
1 0.1R 
2

circulation ratios may be used depending on the strength of raw sewage and the desired effluent
quality.

For the design of treatment filters, the NRC have formulated an equation to determine the
efficiency of the filter

100
E ............................................. (i) 
1  0.0044 U

Where E is % efficiency for BOD removal

U is unit organic loading in Kg BOD /Ha. m

W
U
VF

W is settled wastewater BOD after primary clarifier in Kg / day

V - is the filter volume in hectare - meter

F - is the re-circulation factor.

For two stage re-circulation process the % efficiency of the BOD removed by the first stage filter
may be founded by equation (ii) in which E1 is substituted for E
 100
E1   
1  0.0044 U

Similarity the % efficiency E2 of the BOD in the effluent of the first stage filter which is
removed in the second stage filter is given by

100
E2   
1  0.0044 W '
1  E1 V 'F '

Where W' - is BOD in effluent from 1st stage Kg/d

V1 - is volume of 2nd stage filter hec .m

F1 - recirculation factor for 2nd stage

Note: Primary sedimentation of domestic sewage maybe expected to accomplish 30 - 45% BOD
removal and 45 - 60% SS removal.

Example

Design a standard rate trickling filter for treating 4.5 *106 l /d of sewage. The BOD5 of influent is
160 mg/l. The organic loading is adopted as 160 mg / m3. d and the surface loading 2000 l /m2 .d.
Also calculate the efficiency of this filter unit.

(Using BOD, organic loading - you can get the volume)

Wt. of BOD5 kg/d = 4.5 * 106 *160 mg/l = 720 kg/d

BOD5 supplied to filter

Assuming 35% removed in PC = 468 Kg /d

468kg / d
vol   2925m2
160 x103 kg / m3 .d
 total flow
surface area 
surface loading
4.5 x 106 L / d

2000 L / m 2 d
 2250m2
vol 2925
depth of filter    1.3m
area 2250
100
E 
1  0.0044 U
160 x 10-3
U  160 g / m . d 
3
 1600 kg / ha. m
1 x 10-4
100
E   85%
1  0.0044 1600

Example 2:

Calculate the size of a single stage high rate treatment filter for the following data.

Flow 4500 m3 / d = 4500 x 103 l /d

Re-circulation ratio = 1:4

BOD5 of raw sewage is 280 mg / l

BOD removed in primary clarifier is 35%

Final effluent BOD5 desired 50 mg/l

Wt. of BOD5 in raw sewage (Kg / d) = Q x BOD=1260 Kg/d

Wt of BOD5 entering filter = 0.65 x 1260 = 819 Kg /d

Wt of BOD5 removed in filter

Wt of BOD5 = leaving the filter = Q* Final Effluent=225 Kg /d

BOD5 removed = 819 - 225 = 594 Kg /d

Efficiency of the filter = 72.5 %

 594
E  x 100  72.5
819
100
E 
W
1  0.0044
VF

W = 819 kg /d

1 R
F  R  0.25
1  0.1R 
2

1  0.25
F   1.19
1  01 x 0.25 
2

100
72.5 
819
1  0.0044
v x 1.19

V = 0.09288 ha .m = 928.833

Assume a depth 1.5 m