Batch studies on septic tank effluent treatment using peat

Abstract
Batch studies were conducted to determine the efficiency of Saskatchewan horticultural peat to remove biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), phosphorus, nitrogen, and indicator microorganisms from septic tank effluent. Results of the studies showed that peat was effective in adsorbing 35–50% of dissolved BOD, COD, and organic carbon from the septic tank effluent and in removing indicator microorganisms to the extent of 45–70%. The studies showed that peat has the potential to be used as a medium for septic tank effluent treatment in areas with high water table and with bedrock at shallow depths. Because of leaching of pollutants from peat in the 2-h batch studies, it is necessary to conduct long-term column studies to observe the length of time up to which leaching continues and to evaluate the performance of a peat filtration system under dynamic conditions. Key words: batch studies, septic tank effluent, treatment, peat, adsorption isotherms, indicator microorganisms.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: