Trickling filters

1- General

Trickling filters (TFs) are used to remove organic matter from wastewater. The TF is an
aerobic treatment system that utilizes microorganisms attached to a medium to remove
organic matter from wastewater. This type of system is common to a number of
technologies such as rotating biological contactors and packed bed reactors (biotowers).
These systems are known as attached-growth processes. In contrast, systems in which
microorganisms are sustained in a liquid are known as suspended-growth processes

2- DESIGN CRITERIA
A TF consists of permeable medium made of a bed of rock, slag, or plastic over which
wastewater is distributed to trickle through, as shown in Figure 1. Rock or slag beds can
be up to 60.96 meters (200 feet) in diameter and 0.9-2.4 meters (3 to 8 feet) deep with
rock size varying from 2.5-10.2 cm (1 to 4 inches). Most rock media provide
approximately 149 m2 /m3 (15 sq ft/cu ft) of surface area and less than 40 percent void
space. Packed plastic filters (bio-towers), on the other hand, are smaller in diameter (6 to
12 meters (20 to 40 feet)) and range in depth from 4.3 to 12.2 meters (14 to 40 feet).
These filters look more like towers, with the media in various configurations (e.g.,
vertical flow, cross flow, or various random packings). Research has shown that cross-
flow media may offer better flow distribution than other media, especially at low organic
loads. When comparing vertical media with the 60 degree cross-flow media, the vertical
media provide a nearly equal distribution of wastewater minimizing potential plugging at
higher.
FIGURE 1) TYPICAL TRICKLING FILTER
 3- Trickling filter classifications
Trickling filters are classified on the basis of their hydraulic and organic loads. They may
be classified as low or standard, intermediate, high, or super high rate (Table 1).

Table 1.- Classical typologies of trickling filters (Adapted from WEF 2000; WEF -
ASCE 1992, 1998)

3.1 Standard Rate Filter

Standard rate trickling filters are normally designed for hydraulic ratings of 1.1 to 4.3
m3/m2/d and organic loadings of 0.08 to 0.41 kg BOD/m3/d. These filters are normally
1.8 to 2.4 m deep and rectangular or circular in shape. They are usually dosed
intermittently by dosing tanks with automatic siphons or by periodic pumping. The
interval between dosing will vary with the rate of wastewater flow, but should be short
enough to prevent filter growths from becoming dry. Some recirculation may become
necessary to achieve this. During normal operation, a thick growth develops in the filter
until a temperature change or the flow through the filter causes a large portion to slough
off. This sloughing usually occurs in the spring or fall and is known as “unloading.” The
sloughed material is a stable, easily settled, humus-like material, frequently containing
many worms and filter fly larvae.

3.2 Intermediate Rate Filter

Intermediate rate filters are normally designed to treat hydraulic loadings of 4 to 10

m3/m2/d and organic loadings of 0.24 to 0.48 kg BOD/m3/d including recirculation. In
the past, there have been some cases in which the organic loading in the intermediate
range stimulated considerable biological filter growth and the hydraulic loading was not
sufficient to eliminate clogging of the trickling filter medium. Other plants operating in
this range have had few operational problems. In some cases, intermediate rate filters are
actually under loaded high rate filters.

3.3 High Rate Filter

High rate filters are normally designed for substantially higher loadings than are standard
rate units. A filter receiving a BOD loading from 0.4 to 4.8 kg BOD/m3/d. These filters
are usually 0.9 to 2.4 m deep and circular in shape. They are designed to receive
wastewater continuously. The high rate of application is achieved by recirculating
wastewater that has already passed through the filter, and the heavy flow of wastewater
over the filter medium produces continuous rather than periodic sloughing of the filter
growths. Because the solids are not retained in the high rate filter as long as they are in
the standard rate unit, they are less stable and continue to exert BOD after they leave the
filter. The solids are also much lighter and more difficult to settle than those sloughed
from a standard rate filter.

3.4 Roughing Filter

Roughing filters are basically high rate filters treating an organic load of more than 1.6 kg
BOD/m3/d. (It is not uncommon to load roughing filters at rates in excess of 3.2 kg
BOD/m3/d). In many cases, these filters are used to pre-treat the waste before its feeding
to an activated sludge plant. Most roughing filters designed today use synthetic media.

3.5 Super High Rate Filter

The major differences between super and high rate filters are greater hydraulic loadings
and a much greater filter depth. Some super high rate filters are designed to handle
hydraulic loads of more than 162.3 m3/m2/d. Most of these filters are in the form of
packed towers with depths to 12 m

4- Process Design
 Generally trickling filter design is based on empirical relationships to find the
required filter volume for a designed degree of wastewater treatment.
 NRC equations commonly used.
 NRC (National Research Council of USA) equations give satisfactory values
when there is no re- circulation, the seasonal variations in temperature are not
large and fluctuations with high organic loading.

4.1 NRC equations:

These equations are applicable to both low rate and high rate filters. The efficiency of
single stage or first stage of two stage filters, E2 is given by

100
E 2=
¿¿

For the second stage filter, the efficiency E3 is given by

 100
E 3=
( 1+0.44
1−E 2 )(
f 2 BOD
V2 )
Rf 2 0.5

where E2= % efficiency in BOD removal of single stage or first stage of

two-stage filter

E3=% efficiency of second stage filter

F1.BOD= BOD loading of settled raw sewage in single stage of the two-
stage filter in kg/d

F2.BOD= F1.BOD (1- E2) = BOD loading on second-stage filter in kg/d

V1= volume of first stage filter, m3

V2= volume of second stage filter, m3

Rf1= Recirculation factor for first stage,

R1= Recirculation ratio for first stage filter

Rf2= Recirculation factor for second stage,

R2= Recirculation ratio for second stage filter.

Rf1= ((1+R/(1+R/10)2 ) , R=recycle ratio, F=recirculation Factor

References
 Post, T., & Medlock, J. (2002). Wastewater Technology Fact Sheet Tricking
Filters. US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water Washington DC
EPA, 832-F00.
 WEF - ASCE (1992, 1998) "Design of municipal wastewater treatment plants";
Water Environment Federation; and the American Society of Civil Engineering;
Volume I; 1592 págs.
 Vianna, M. R., de Melo, G. C., & Neto, M. R. (2012). Wastewater treatment in
trickling filters using Luffa cyllindrica as biofilm supporting medium. Journal of
Urban and Environmental Engineering, 6(2), 57-66.