Treatment of domestic effluents using sustainable biofilter methods

Abstract

The discharge of effluents is a permanent environmental and sanitation concern. Efficient water management must include water treatment and reuse. It is therefore necessary to study treatment systems to improve their performance throughout the entire chain, from drinking water to wastewater or, more specifically, waste effluent. Currently, technologies using bio-filtration processes have proven to be an effective and low-cost method for treating industrial effluents and domestic sewage. In this study, a low-cost domestic sewage treatment system made up of biofilters and pipes was built on a bench model as a means of teaching practical classes, and its efficiency was also studied. The results showed that the equipment can be made from recyclable material and is low-cost, easy to detail technically and easy to handle and operate. The students involved can easily replicate the technology in their communities, thus spreading low-cost sanitation treatment technologies to low-income populations without access to conventional sanitation systems. The parameters pH, turbidity, chlorination, temperature, and electrical conductivity were all at acceptable levels for discharge into receiving bodies and domestic use.