Developments and expansions of a suite of trickling filters models

• Published in: Water and environment journal : WEJ Vol. 38; no. 1; pp. 153 - 161
• Main Author: Pearce, Peter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.02.2024
• Subjects: Biological activity; Biological treatment; BOD removal; Decomposing organic matter; Effluent standards; Effluents; Environmental quality; Filter design (mathematics); Filters; heat losses; Humus; humus tanks; modelling; Municipal wastes; Municipal wastewater; Nitrification; Sewage; Sewage treatment; Solid suspensions; Surface water; Suspended particulate matter; Suspended solids; Trickling filters; Wastewater treatment; Water quality standards
• ISSN: 1747-6585; 1747-6593
• DOI: 10.1111/wej.12888

In the United Kingdom, trickling filters remain the most widespread secondary biological treatment process for municipal sewage treatment in terms of number of installations. Ongoing improvement in environmental quality of surface waters requires many of these sites to meet stringent effluent standards. Since publication of the original model for nitrification on mineral media trickling filters by Pearce and Williams in 1999 and the model for nitrification on plastic media filters by Pearce and Edwards in 2010, they have attracted widespread use. Since publication, the models have undergone some refinement and benefitted from an increased application range. Furthermore, recent publications by Pearce and Yang have delivered widely based models for predicting average and seasonal humus tank effluent suspended solids and variability at a resolution of daily 95th percentile performance. This paper presents recent developments of the nitrification models and consolidates the suite of models now available for trickling filter design, evaluation and operation.