Abstract

ACEVEDO CIFUENTES, Diana Rocío; BUILES FELIZZOLA, Sandra Milena; ORDONEZ ANTE, Carlos Andrés  and  LOPEZ SANCHEZ, Idalia Jacqueline. REMOVAL OF PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISMS PRESENT IN MIXED LIQUOUR UNDER LABORATORY CONDITIONS BY USING FILTERS PACKED IN NATURAL ZEOLITE. Rev. ing. univ. Medellín [online]. 2012, vol.11, n.21, pp.39-52. ISSN 1692-3324.

This article displays results obtained when total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and Salmonella shigella were removed from mixed liquor taken from San Fernando waste water treatment plant in Medellín, Colombia, by using a battery of filters packed in zeolite clinoptilolite. Experiments were developed under controlled conditions of flow and pH at room temperature. Natural clinoptilolite-type zeolite was used activated with saline solution and drying; it was packed in a battery consisting of two filters (a downward-flow filter and an upward-flow filter) in order to make contact of contaminated solution and adsorbent material (zeolite) easier. Five independent tests were conducted and zeolite matter was washed and activated at the end of each test before starting the next one. Three samples were taken in each test. It was found that efficiency of filters under specific conditions of design was significantly high when assessed pathogens were removed, and percentage of removal was independent from the concentration value at the filter entry. Besides, efficiency to remove pathogens assessed was not dependent on the type of microorganisms.

Keywords : Total coliforms; fecal coliforms; Salmonella shigella; zeolite; filters; mixed liquor.

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