Abstract
This study investigates the concern about biofilm growth on random packing material (RPM) used to enhance the hydraulic disinfection efficiency of a chlorine contactor. The inflow, outflow, and RPM were monitored for heterotrophic bacteria (via heterotrophic plate counts) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa as indicators of bacteriological water quality and the presence of biofilm. The results of this study show that there was no substantial biofilm growth in a lab-scale chlorine contactor and no substantial increase in bacterial counts for the bulk outflow over a 10-week period. Thus, the potential for excessive biofilm growth should not be considered a barrier concerning the use of RPM to improve the hydraulic disinfection efficiency of chlorine contactors in small drinking water treatment systems.
Recommended Citation
J. L. Baker et al., "Random Packing Material in Disinfection Contactors: Effects on Final Drinking Water Quality," AWWA Water Science, vol. 2, no. 4, article no. e1187, John Wiley & sons, Jul 2020.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1002/aws2.1187
Department(s)
Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
Publication Status
Full Access
Keywords and Phrases
baffling factor; biofilm; disinfection; random packing material
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
2577-8161
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2025 John Wiley & Sons, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Jul 2020
