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The Role of the Schmutzdecke in Escherichia Coli Removal in Slow Sand and Riverbank Filtration

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The Role of the Schmutzdecke in Escherichia Coli Removal in Slow Sand and Riverbank Filtration University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository Master's Theses and Capstones Student Scholarship Winter 2006 The role of the schmutzdecke in Escherichia coli removal in slow sand and riverbank filtration Michael C. Unger University of New Hampshire, Durham Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/thesis Recommended Citation Unger, Michael C., "The role of the schmutzdecke in Escherichia coli removal in slow sand and riverbank filtration" (2006). Master's Theses and Capstones. 251. https://scholars.unh.edu/thesis/251 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses and Capstones by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE ROLE OF THE SCHMUTZDECKE IN E. COLI REMOVAL IN SLOW SAND AND RIVERBANK FILTRATION BY MICHAEL C. UNGER B.A. Physics and German, Middlebury College, 2003 THESIS Submitted to the University of New Hampshire in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Civil Engineering December, 2006 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 1439298 INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. ® UMI UMI Microform 1439298 Copyright 2007 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. This thesis has been examined and approved. Thesis Director Dr. Michael R. Collins, Ph.D., P.E. Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering frlNfancy E. Kinner, Ph.D. Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Dr. Aaron B. Margolim Ph.D. Professor of Microbielogy Qcxl+s *'Z oofa Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am very grateful to the following people (and many others unnamed) for their assistance and encouragement: • My advisor, Dr. Robin Collins, for (although it seems cliche) believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself and for providing opportunities to travel the World: Niger, Germany, Texas, Winthrop, ME, and Durham. • USEPA for funding this research through the Water Treatment Technology Assistance Center (WTTAC) at the University of New Hampshire. • The staff of the WTTAC at UNH: Vasiliki Partinoudi, Melissa Smith, Melanie Martin-Doole, Peter Dwyer, Elia Kopreski, Damon Burt for their hard work for my sake in the lab and water treatment plant, their encouragement, and to all the various WTTAC work studies for faithfully doing the jobs we didn’t want to do. • The faculty, staff, and students of ERG, especially the incoming master’s class of 2004: Jim McMahon and Linda Rauch. • The personnel of the UNH/Durham Water Treatment Plant, especially Wes East, chief operator, and Brian Gallagher for the use of their facility and their technical assistance. • Dr. Aaron Margolin, Bob Mooney, and Nancy Whitehouse for sharing their knowledge of microbiology, time, and equipment. • Dr. Nancy Kinner, Jen Jencks, and Joe Cunningham for sharing their knowledge of protists and microscopy, time, and their lab space and equipment. iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. The members of Students Without Borders for enriching my experience at UNH. My wife, Sandy, and my parents for their love and support. iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................iii LIST OF TABLES....................... ,......................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES................................................................................................................. x LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS.......................... xii ABSTRACT................................................................................. xiii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION..................... 1 1.1. Background ............................................................................................................1 1.2. The Schmutzdecke.................................................................................. 3 1.3. Problem Statement and Research Objectives ............................ ..3 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................ 6 2.1. Slow Sand Filtration Overview ............................................. 6 2.1.1. Description and History ............................................................................... 6 2.1.2. Design and Operation .................................................................................. 8 2.1.3. Advantages and Disadvantages ..................................... 12 2.1.4. Pathogen Removal Ability ................... 14 2.1.5. Regulation ................. 15 2.2. Riverbank Filtration Overview .................................................................. 16 2.2.1. Description and History ................... 16 2.2.2. Design and Operation ......................................... 18 2.2.3. Advantages and Disadvantages .................................,............................... 19 2.2.4. Pathogen Removal Ability .................................. 21 2.2.5. Regulation ............................................ 22 2.3. General Theories of E. coli Transport in Porous Media ......................................23 2.4. The Schmutzdecke..................................................................................................32 2.4.1. Description ................................................ 32 2.4.2. Influence of the Schmutzdecke on General Bacterial Transport Theories ........................................... 36 2.5. Biofilms .................................................................................................................... 38 2.6. Protists in Biological Filters ........................................ 39 2.7. Use of GFP-Labeled E. coli in Transport Experiments .......................................44 v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHAPTER 3 EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY.......................46 3.1. Experimental Setups ...............................................................................................46 3.1.1. Objective 1: Rank Operational and Design Parameters ........................... 48 3.1.2. Objective 2: Assess Effect of Schmutzdecke Removal and Recovery ... 52 3.1.3. Objective 3: Assess Removal Mechanisms Associated with the Schmutzdecke Biofilm .......................................................................................... 56 3.1.4. Objective 4: Estimate Potential Influence of Protistan Predation ............57 3.2. Materials .............................................................................................. 62 • 3.2.1. Filter Columns .................................................................... 62 3.2.2. Operational Parameters and Raw Water Quality ......................................63 3.2.3. Experimental Challenge Microorganism .................................... 63 3.3. Methods .................................................................................... 64 3.3.1 .E. coli Enumeration .........................................................................64 3.3.2. Biofilm Characteristics...............................................................................66 3.3.3. Counting Protists ........................... 69 3.4. Quality Control / Quality Assurance .......................... 70 3.4.1. Laboratory Method Quality Control Measures .........................................70 3.4.2. Field E. coli Quality Control Measures .....................................................72 CHAPTER 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION .............................................................75 4.1. Objective 1: Rank Operational and Design Parameters .......................................76 4.1.1. Screening Study .......................................................................................... 76 4.1.2. L/d vs. EBCT Study .................................................................................... 82 4.2. Objective 2: Assess Effect of Schmutdecke Removal and Recovery .................84 4.2.1. Distribution of Captured E. coli ................................................................. 84 4.2.2; Schmutzdecke Scouring and Recovery Simulation ..................................87 4.2.3. Scouring Simulation with Temperature Influence ....................................90
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