{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/76663"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/76663","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Comparison of Biological Aerated Filter (BAF) performance using two granular sunken media at low organic and hydraulic loadings","abstract":"Biological treatment forms an integral part of wastewater treatment. Biological aerated filters (BAFs) are submerged attached growth bioreactors which provide biological treatment as well as filtration in a single unit. The packing media used in BAFs plays an important role in the system performance and determines the ability of the system to meet treatment objectives. The performance of upflow BAFs was compared using North American clay media and Severn Trent monomedia at low organic and hydraulic loads (0.18 kg tCOD/m3d – 0.6 kg tCOD/m3d and 0.1 m/hr – 0.38 m/hr, respectively). Two identical, two stage, bench scale, upflow BAFs were constructed using PVC pipes with an internal diameter of 0.11 m. The system was operated at the Peppers Ferry Wastewater Treatment facility for two months and was fed with effluent from the primary clarifier. Grab samples of influent and effluent from the BAFs were collected thrice a week to evaluate carbon oxidation, solids removal and nitrification. In order to evaluate system recovery when BAFs are operated intermittently, a drying cycle of eleven days was introduced. Both media performed satisfactorily with respect to carbon oxidation and nitrification. On average, total COD and total suspended solids (TSS) removal rates were, respectively greater than 80% and 55%. Conversion of ammonia to nitrate was greater than 90% throughout the study. It was concluded that additional factors like media properties and economic factors need to be considered in selection of the media.","abstract_html":"Biological treatment forms an integral part of wastewater treatment. Biological aerated filters (BAFs) are submerged attached growth bioreactors which provide biological treatment as well as filtration in a single unit. The packing media used in BAFs plays an important role in the system performance and determines the ability of the system to meet treatment objectives. The performance of upflow BAFs was compared using North American clay media and Severn Trent monomedia at low organic and hydraulic loads (0.18 kg tCOD/m3d – 0.6 kg tCOD/m3d and 0.1 m/hr – 0.38 m/hr, respectively). Two identical, two stage, bench scale, upflow BAFs were constructed using PVC pipes with an internal diameter of 0.11 m. The system was operated at the Peppers Ferry Wastewater Treatment facility for two months and was fed with effluent from the primary clarifier. Grab samples of influent and effluent from the BAFs were collected thrice a week to evaluate carbon oxidation, solids removal and nitrification. In order to evaluate system recovery when BAFs are operated intermittently, a drying cycle of eleven days was introduced. Both media performed satisfactorily with respect to carbon oxidation and nitrification. On average, total COD and total suspended solids (TSS) removal rates were, respectively greater than 80% and 55%. Conversion of ammonia to nitrate was greater than 90% throughout the study. It was concluded that additional factors like media properties and economic factors need to be considered in selection of the media.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Thomas, Ashly"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Civil Engineering","degree_department":"Civil and Environmental Engineering","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Boardman, Gregory D."],"committee_members":["Novak, John T.","Zhang, Husen"],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-09-24","date_published":"2015-09-24","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:08Z","subjects":["Biological Aerated Filters (BAFs)","granular media","carbon oxidation","nitrification"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:6332"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:6332","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/76663","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Boardman, Gregory D."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Novak, John T.","Zhang, Husen"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Civil and Environmental Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Thomas, Ashly"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2017-03-18T06:00:16Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-03-18T06:00:16Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2015-09-24"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Civil Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Biological Aerated Filters (BAFs)","granular media","carbon oxidation","nitrification"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:6332"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/76663"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Biological treatment forms an integral part of wastewater treatment. Biological aerated filters (BAFs) are submerged attached growth bioreactors which provide biological treatment as well as filtration in a single unit. The packing media used in BAFs plays an important role in the system performance and determines the ability of the system to meet treatment objectives. The performance of upflow BAFs was compared using North American clay media and Severn Trent monomedia at low organic and hydraulic loads (0.18 kg tCOD/m3d – 0.6 kg tCOD/m3d and 0.1 m/hr – 0.38 m/hr, respectively). Two identical, two stage, bench scale, upflow BAFs were constructed using PVC pipes with an internal diameter of 0.11 m. The system was operated at the Peppers Ferry Wastewater Treatment facility for two months and was fed with effluent from the primary clarifier. Grab samples of influent and effluent from the BAFs were collected thrice a week to evaluate carbon oxidation, solids removal and nitrification. In order to evaluate system recovery when BAFs are operated intermittently, a drying cycle of eleven days was introduced. Both media performed satisfactorily with respect to carbon oxidation and nitrification. On average, total COD and total suspended solids (TSS) removal rates were, respectively greater than 80% and 55%. Conversion of ammonia to nitrate was greater than 90% throughout the study. It was concluded that additional factors like media properties and economic factors need to be considered in selection of the media."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Comparison of Biological Aerated Filter (BAF) performance using two granular sunken media at low organic and hydraulic loadings"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Boardman, Gregory D."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Novak, John T.","Zhang, Husen"],"dc:contributor.department":["Civil and Environmental Engineering"],"dc:creator":["Thomas, Ashly"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2017-03-18T06:00:16Z"],"dc:date.available":["2017-03-18T06:00:16Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2015-09-24"],"dc:description.abstract":["Biological treatment forms an integral part of wastewater treatment. Biological aerated filters (BAFs) are submerged attached growth bioreactors which provide biological treatment as well as filtration in a single unit. The packing media used in BAFs plays an important role in the system performance and determines the ability of the system to meet treatment objectives. The performance of upflow BAFs was compared using North American clay media and Severn Trent monomedia at low organic and hydraulic loads (0.18 kg tCOD/m3d – 0.6 kg tCOD/m3d and 0.1 m/hr – 0.38 m/hr, respectively). Two identical, two stage, bench scale, upflow BAFs were constructed using PVC pipes with an internal diameter of 0.11 m. The system was operated at the Peppers Ferry Wastewater Treatment facility for two months and was fed with effluent from the primary clarifier. Grab samples of influent and effluent from the BAFs were collected thrice a week to evaluate carbon oxidation, solids removal and nitrification. In order to evaluate system recovery when BAFs are operated intermittently, a drying cycle of eleven days was introduced. Both media performed satisfactorily with respect to carbon oxidation and nitrification. On average, total COD and total suspended solids (TSS) removal rates were, respectively greater than 80% and 55%. Conversion of ammonia to nitrate was greater than 90% throughout the study. It was concluded that additional factors like media properties and economic factors need to be considered in selection of the media."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:6332"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/76663"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Biological Aerated Filters (BAFs)","granular media","carbon oxidation","nitrification"],"dc:title":["Comparison of Biological Aerated Filter (BAF) performance using two granular sunken media at low organic and hydraulic loadings"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Civil Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:08Z"}