Kinetics of manganese removal from groundwater via biological activated carbon fiber

Abstract The residual manganese concentration from groundwater treatment plants normally exceeds the limit of 0.1 mg L −1 , which is the maximum permissible manganese content set by the Ministry of Health. A new biological activated carbon fiber technology is described in this paper, in which filtration columns filled with ACF and inoculated manganese oxidizing bacteria ( Citrobacter sp. FM-2) were used in an attempt to effectively remove the Mn 2+ in groundwater using a biological method. By researching the various factors that influence biological manganese removal, a new kinetics model of BACF filtering with multiple influencing factors that incorporates the key factors of the process, such as the temperature, pH and empty bed contact time (EBCT), was established, and the accuracy of the model was verified. The study further extends the research on biological manganese removal and provides a reference and basis for production practice to some extent.