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Cocopeat for wastewater treatment in the developing world. I: Comparison to traditional packing media in lab scale biofiltration columns

Publication ,  Journal Article
Danley-Thomson, AA; Gardner, CM; Gwin, CA; Gunsch, CK
Published in: Journal of Environmental Engineering (United States)
February 1, 2016

Cocopeat, a by-product of coconut processing plants widely available in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Indonesia, was studied for its ability to support biological nutrient removal in lab-scale vertical flow columns treating simulated wastewater. Treatment performance for cocopeat was compared to sphagnum peat, a traditional packing medium, and Celite, an inert clay pellet. Removal efficiencies of nitrogen, phosphorus, and biological oxygen demand (BOD) were measured over a period of 325 days. During the treatment period, varying configurations were tested to determine the effect of varying aerobic, anoxic, and anaerobic zones on nutrient removal. Overall, similar BOD removal profiles were obtained for cocopeat and sphagnum peat. Slightly more efficient anoxic conditions and a less acidic environment developed with the cocopeat. Up to 75% nitrogen removal was obtained; however, phosphorus removal was not accomplished using the experimental setup, likely due to the absence of a completely anaerobic treatment zone. Overall, cocopeat appears to be a promising alternative packing material for on-site wastewater treatment in Southeast Asia in terms of nitrogen removal.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Journal of Environmental Engineering (United States)

DOI

ISSN

0733-9372

Publication Date

February 1, 2016

Volume

142

Issue

2

Related Subject Headings

  • Environmental Engineering
  • 4005 Civil engineering
  • 4004 Chemical engineering
  • 0907 Environmental Engineering
  • 0905 Civil Engineering
  • 0904 Chemical Engineering
 

Citation

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Danley-Thomson, A. A., Gardner, C. M., Gwin, C. A., & Gunsch, C. K. (2016). Cocopeat for wastewater treatment in the developing world. I: Comparison to traditional packing media in lab scale biofiltration columns. Journal of Environmental Engineering (United States), 142(2). https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0000995
Danley-Thomson, A. A., C. M. Gardner, C. A. Gwin, and C. K. Gunsch. “Cocopeat for wastewater treatment in the developing world. I: Comparison to traditional packing media in lab scale biofiltration columns.” Journal of Environmental Engineering (United States) 142, no. 2 (February 1, 2016). https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0000995.
Danley-Thomson AA, Gardner CM, Gwin CA, Gunsch CK. Cocopeat for wastewater treatment in the developing world. I: Comparison to traditional packing media in lab scale biofiltration columns. Journal of Environmental Engineering (United States). 2016 Feb 1;142(2).
Danley-Thomson, A. A., et al. “Cocopeat for wastewater treatment in the developing world. I: Comparison to traditional packing media in lab scale biofiltration columns.” Journal of Environmental Engineering (United States), vol. 142, no. 2, Feb. 2016. Scopus, doi:10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0000995.
Danley-Thomson AA, Gardner CM, Gwin CA, Gunsch CK. Cocopeat for wastewater treatment in the developing world. I: Comparison to traditional packing media in lab scale biofiltration columns. Journal of Environmental Engineering (United States). 2016 Feb 1;142(2).

Published In

Journal of Environmental Engineering (United States)

DOI

ISSN

0733-9372

Publication Date

February 1, 2016

Volume

142

Issue

2

Related Subject Headings

  • Environmental Engineering
  • 4005 Civil engineering
  • 4004 Chemical engineering
  • 0907 Environmental Engineering
  • 0905 Civil Engineering
  • 0904 Chemical Engineering