Phosphorus Removal in Pilot Plant Using Biofilm Filter Process from Farm Wastewater

Various environmental conditions affecting total phosphorus removal from farm wastewater in a biofilm filter process were investigated using loess balls and Chromobacterium LEE-38 at a pilot plant. When Chromobacterium LEE-38 was used, the removal efficiency of total phosphorous was approximately 10- or 5-fold higher than that of Acinetobacter CHA-2-14 or Acinetobacter CHA-4-5, respectively. When a loess ball of $11{\sim}14mm$ manufactured at a $960^{\circ}C$ calcining temperature was used, the removal efficiency of total phosphorous was 90.0%. When 70% of the volume fraction was used, the maximum efficiency of total phosphorus removal was 93.1%. Notably, when the initial pH was in the range of 6.0 to 8.0, the maximum removal efficiency of total phosphorus was obtained after 30 days. When the operating temperature was in the range of 30 to $55^{\circ}C$, the maximum removal efficiencies of total phosphorus, 95.6 to 94.6%, were obtained. On the other hand, at operating temperatures below $20^{\circ}C$ or above $40^{\circ}C$, the removal efficiency of total phosphorous decreased. Among the various processes, biofilm filter process A gave the highest removal efficiency of 96.4%. Pilot tests of total phosphorus removal using farm wastewater from the biofilm filter process A were carried out for 60 days under optimal conditions. When Acinetobacter sp. Lee-11 was used, the average removal efficiency in the p-adsorption area was only 32.5%, and the removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biological oxygen demand (BOD) were 56.7 and 62.5%, respectively. On the other hand, when Chromobacterium LEE-38 was used, the average removal efficiency was 95.1%, and the removal efficiencies of COD and BOD were 91.3 and 93.2%, respectively.