MOJ Ecology & Environmental Sciences

Research Article Open Access

Waste brick and concrete for wastewater treatment

by pilot and static test
Abstract Volume 4 Issue 2 - 2019

Water pollution is a globally issue. With population increase, this issue became
Yihuan Deng, Andrew Wheatley
more serious than before. All the authorities are seeking a way to solve this problem, Civil and budding engineering, Lougborough University, UK
especially China. However, there is a huge cost for treating vast amount of wastewater,
particularly in rural areas. Low cost and easy maintenance treatment process is a Correspondence: Yihuan Deng, Civil and Building Engineering
sustainable choice such as trickling filter and constructed wetland. Currently, Activated Department, Loughborough University, Lougborough, England,
sludge process is replacing these processes due to better performance, but the cost UK, Email
much higher. By improving the filled filter media, these processes could improve their
performance. This study conducted lab-scale TF and static test to investigate the media Received: April 17, 2018 | Published: March 14, 2019
such as Furnace blast slag, Maifan stone, Zeolite, Waste Concrete and Brick. The TF
results presented waste concrete and brick achieved desirable performance and reliable
to remove majority of pollutants (such as COD, TSS and turbidity), but poor to remove
nutrients. The further static study was P removal. By adopting different condition, the
removal rate was discovered that affect by pH and initial P concentration. This study
also found zeolite, Maifan stone and waste brick released P in lower pH condition
with lower and higher P concentration. By concluding these results, waste concrete
presented greater adsorption for both pilot and static test. Waste Concrete could be
recycled as filter media for treating wastewater in less developed areas.

Keywords: novel filter, trickling filter, pollutants removal, nutrients, crushed

concrete, crushed brick, maifan stone, zeolite

Abbreviations: BFS, blast furnace slag; CB, crushed brick; Methodology

CC, crushed concrete; COD, chemical oxygen demand; TF, trickling
filter; TOC, total organic carbon; P, phosphorus Pilot study
The pilot plant was built in the water laboratories and
Introduction accommodated four different bioreactors for different media types to
In many parts of world, wastewater management systems are not be operated in parallel (Figure 1). The filter was made from a 1m tall
available. The data showed only 64% of the world’s population have perspex cylinder with diameter 0.145m. The surface area of the filter
access sanitation facilities. Due to the expansion of population, the was 0.0165m2 with a maximum volume of 0.0165m3. The piping and
world environment is getting worse. The environmental issues attract pumping arrangements are shown in Figure 1. The trickling filters were
people’s attention, especially in China. People have very strong willing operated in 2 month steady state periods. These TFs were operated at
to improve nature environmental. However, there is huge pressure hydraulic loading of 3.6m3/m2∙d with no effluent recirculation. The
for government to invest abundant money in wastewater industrial.1 media was filled with Kaldnes, furnace blast slag, crushed brick and
Currently, A/S process is widely used. The process is produced good brick. The size of the media was in range 20-50mm. The column fed
quality of effluent, but it is high cost and difficult maintenance for less with synthetic wastewater base on Marquet (1999)’s recipe.2 Typical
developed areas. TF has been in use for over 100 years in Europe. wastewater analysis for influent and effluent were measured daily,
Although TF is oldest wastewater treatment technique, its low energy these include temperature, pH and turbidity. Influent wastewater
consumption and easily maintenance makes it an attractive to retain samples were obtained from a composite of four grab samples daily,
them if their performance can meet modern standard. By applying while filter effluent samples were collected from a small storage tank
suitable media could improve the performance. integrating one hour of flow. Samples from the different columns
were taken simultaneously to ensure that the relative performance
The aim of this study is to select easy available and efficiency filter of the tickling filters was from the same conditions of feed and
media for wastewater treatment. These media was examined by pilot ambient conditions. The standard analysis methods were: turbidity,
and static test. In the pilot test, Kandels, furnace blast slag, crushed total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations, Chemical Oxygen
brick and concrete was used as filter media for TF under intermediate Demand (COD), Total Organic Carbon (TOC), dissolved Phosphorus
hydraulic loading. The test was operated for nearly two months and and ammonia nitrogen (NH4). These were carried out according to
synthetic wastewater used for recharge each reactor. COD, TSS, TOC, international standard methods (APHA 2003).3
turbidity, ammonia and P were examined. For the static test, crushed
concrete, Maifan stone, Zeolite and Brick was used for P adsorption Static test
and desorption. The P adsorption was separated into 3h and 24h test
Several groups of tests were carried out and the media included
period, in order to examine the adsorption rate affect with time.
Maifan stone, Zeolite, Crushed concrete and Brick. The size of media

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© 2019 Deng et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which
permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially.
 Copyright:
Waste brick and concrete for wastewater treatment by pilot and static test ©2019 Deng et al. 56

was 20-50mm. The first group of tests determined P removal effect desirable. Persson et al.4 presented the COD removal of a full scale
according to pH and P concentration by shark flasks for 3hours. The TFs was less than 10%. However, Marquet2 reported on study of a
second group of tests was similar as first with shaking for 24 hours. lower rate (0.9m3/m2.d). TF by slag and the maximum efficiency COD
The test pH range was from 6 to 8 and P initial concentration was from removal was 83% from 424mg/L to 70.7mg/L. In this test showed
10mg/l to 30mg/l. that poor performance of slag, that may cause by greater hydraulic
loading and poor growth of biofilm. The overall TSS removal was fair
by these media, particularly concrete and brick. Harrison et al.(1984)
conducted a survery of TF plants performance and TSS removal was
around 62%.5 Biesterfeld et al.6 conducted a 5 hours bench test and
less than 50% of TSS has been removed by plastic media in submerged
condition. However, the results presented the TSS content of effluent
was higher than influent, occasionally. The increased effluent TSS
could cause by higher hydraulic loading and resulted a greater shear.
Harrison and Daigger7 mentioned the effluent TSS concentration was
affected by flow pattern and degree of turbulence within the filter.
They suggested the media with 60˚ degree nature shape causing less
turbulence and less shear to bio-solids. This resulted settleable solids
and lower TSS contained in effluent.7 In this study, brick and concrete
were removal most of TOC. Due to the strength of brick and brick
were lower than Kaldnes and slag, the media was more easily shaped
by hydraulic erosion and minimise the impact to media surface. The
Figure 1 Schematic of trickling filter.
performance of turbidity removal was considerable for four media.
The batch experiments were used to obtain the adsorption Dahling et al.,8 have conducted a reported and showed the removal
rate and the equilibrium data of the absorbents for phosphorus as efficiency of turbidity was around 50% for full scale TF plants in
orthophosphate (PO4). For these studies, a series of 250mL flasks were USA. Various studies reported that TF was poorly removal TOC.
employed. Each flask was filled with 100mL of standard solution and Duddles et al.9 have determined the TF removal 25% of TOC. Yang
kept in a thermostatic shaker at 25˚C. Known amounts of media were assembled submerged reactor connected with TF filled with plastic
added to each of the flasks and agitated at 180rpm for the experimental media. He mentioned that TF was very limited to remove TOC.
period. After that, the residual concentrations of P were determined. Martienssen et al.10 studies the leachate removed by A/S process,
fluidised bed reactor and TF. The limited TOC elimination was also
Results and discussion been observed. The test presented poor performance for nutrients
removal. The P concentration of effluents were higher than influent.
Performance of TF This is attributed to the breakdown of organic P into soluble P which
Table 1 showed the media removal majority of pollutants the pilot is they not re-absorbed in new biomass growth. The ammonia removal
test. Crushed brick and concrete as waster material also presented varied significantly between the different columns, with the best
desirable performance. Compared with previous studies, the results obtained for the column filled with slag and concrete. Here the
performance was fair for some media. The overall COD removal was bacteria consumed 16% to 17% of the incoming ammonia. The poor
around 40%. Compared with other higher rate TFs, the results was performance could cause by to poor biofilm growth, higher hydraulic
loading and shorter depth of reactor (Table 1).8
Table 1 Removal efficiency for four media in TF

  Average valuea Removal

Influent 252
Kaldnes 174 31%
COD Blast furnace slag 140 44%
Effluent
Crushed Brick 150 40%
Crushed Concrete 160 37%
Influent 130
Kaldnes 63 52%
TSS Blast furnace slag 54 58%
Effluent
Crushed Brick 40 69%
Crushed Concrete 45 65%
Influent 52
Kaldnes 26.3 49%
Turbidity Blast furnace slag 25 52%
Effluent
Crushed Brick 19.4 63%
Crushed Concrete 20 62%

Citation: Deng Y. Waste brick and concrete for wastewater treatment by pilot and static test. MOJ Eco Environ Sci. 2019;4(2):55‒58.
DOI: 10.15406/mojes.2019.04.00133
 Copyright:
Waste brick and concrete for wastewater treatment by pilot and static test ©2019 Deng et al. 57

Table Continued....
  Average valuea Removal
Influent 20.42
Kaldnes 22 -8%
NH4 Blast furnace slag 17.2 16%
Effluent
Crushed Brick 20 2%
Crushed Concrete 16.9 17%
Influent 2.3
Kaldnes 2.9 -26%
Dissolved P Blast furnace slag 3.2 -39%
Effluent
Crushed Brick 3.6 -57%
Crushed Concrete 2.8 -22%
Influent 26.4
Kaldnes 21.3 19%
TOC Blast furnace slag 21.7 18%
Effluent
Crushed Brick 25.4 4%
Crushed Concrete 21.2 20%

Performance of static At the lower P concentration (5mg/l) and at the lower pH all the
media (except concrete) released P, (Figure 3). When the pH reached
In lower P concentration solution (5mg/L), the adsorption capacity 7, all the media absorbed P and the concrete removed about 50%. The
was affected by pH (Figure 2). At pH 6, some media were found to adsorption capacities of media decreased with increasing of pH. In
release P into solution; the Maifan stone released an extra 30%, brick the experiments with P=15mg/l solution, the adsorption ability of five
20% and zeolites 15%. All the media performed with better results at media increased with pH increase (Figure 3). Once again concrete
pH 7, concrete absorbed 30% of P and the rest media removed around was the best performance and reached 35% of P removal at pH 8.
10%. However, removal dropped again at pH 8. Demonstrating U Figure 3 showed adsorption ability of media was variable at different
sharped graphical results, Figure 2 shows the different behaviour of pH. All the media however presented the best removal efficiency at
media in higher P concentration (10mg/l). The removal efficiency of pH 7. Concrete was the best media and removal rates were greater
media increased with pH, the concrete performance increased from than 50% of P. Other media released P at pH 6.0.
pH 7 to pH 8. The adsorption ability of Maifan stone and slag was
stable in the pH range at around 5%. Zeolite increased at pH 7, but fell
and reduced again at pH 8. Brick dramatically increased in pH 8. Thus
it was possible to conclude that the concentration and equilibrium
solubility of the P were an important influence on the adsorption
behaviour as well as the interactions at the media surface.

Figure 3 P removal rate under various initial P concentration and pH in

24hours test period.

Conclusion
Figure 2 P removal rate under various initial P concentration and pH in 3
hours test period. The pilot study presented the BFS, CC and CB were effectively

Citation: Deng Y. Waste brick and concrete for wastewater treatment by pilot and static test. MOJ Eco Environ Sci. 2019;4(2):55‒58.
DOI: 10.15406/mojes.2019.04.00133
 Copyright:
Waste brick and concrete for wastewater treatment by pilot and static test ©2019 Deng et al. 58

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Citation: Deng Y. Waste brick and concrete for wastewater treatment by pilot and static test. MOJ Eco Environ Sci. 2019;4(2):55‒58.
DOI: 10.15406/mojes.2019.04.00133