Avaliação da eficiência no tratamento de água cinza em biorreatores: uma abordagem comparativa entre carvão ativado granular e Biobob

Abstract

This comparative study aimed to monitor and assess the performance of two bioreactors, each employing a different filtering medium (activated charcoal and Biobob), in treating wastewater from laundry activities. To understand the work, measurements of color, turbidity, and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) were taken in the raw water and in the two effluents treated by the mentioned filtering media. The experiment took place in the UTFPR-Londrina laboratory S003, where two bioreactors equipped with an aeration system were set up. Throughout the experiment, 13 measurements were taken over time, twice a week. During this period, the gradual formation of biofilm layers on the filtering media was observed. The final results highlighted a significant advantage in wastewater treatment when activated charcoal was used as the filtering medium. Regarding color, activated charcoal showed an average efficiency of approximately 79%, while Biobob showed about 66%. For turbidity, activated charcoal recorded an average efficiency of around 92%, whereas Biobob showed about 77%. In terms of COD, activated charcoal demonstrated an organic matter removal efficiency of 73%, while Biobob showed around 61%. The results consistently indicate the superiority of activated charcoal in treating gray wastewater. Furthermore, the formation of biofilm on the filtering media was observed over time, suggesting that these biofilms may play a beneficial role in the treatment process.