Estudio de un sistema de biofiltración empleando como medio filtrante cuesco de palmiste para depurar aguas residuales sintéticas.

Abstract

In the present work, 6 biofilters were elaborated at laboratory scale with palm kernel shell as filter medium and artificial domestic wastewater was administered to them for 3 months to decontaminate them as a proposal to take advantage of this material that usually ends up in the sanitary landfill or in dumps. At the beginning, all the physical-chemical characterization of the hull was carried out, which was divided into humidity, real and apparent density, porosity, extractics, lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose. Subsequently, the material was washed, oven-dried and sieved in different particle sizes with a geometric medium of 5-6.5mm, 6.5-8mm and 8-10mm for the filters, and for the other analyses between 250 and 425 µm. Following this, the biofilters were assembled as described below, the support layer with 5 cm gravel of between 0.1 and 1 cm in diameter, the active layer with a height of between 45 and 75 cm of cullet, with different diameters as described above, and the final layer of 5 cm of wood chips that will improve the uniform distribution of the inlet flow. Finally, the biofilters were conditioned for one month and the following parameters were monitored twice a week for 3 consecutive months: COD, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, dissolved oxygen, total suspended solids, temperature and pH. From the results obtained in the biofilters, it was evident that a biofilm does indeed grow on the adsorbent material, which allows us to decontaminate domestic wastewater with maximum removal values of COD (97.04% in filter 2), nitrogen (62.22% in filter 6), total phosphorus (51.44% in filter 6) and TSS (88.75% in filter 6). 04% in filter 2), Nitrogen (62.22% in filter 6), Total Phosphorus (51.44% in filter 6), TSS (88.75% in filter 6), so it was determined that the best particle diameter for the creation of biofilters is 8-10mm and with a height of 75cm of oil palm shell.