ICSACID-24 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)

Biofiltration: A Sustainable Solution for

Grey Water Treatment

Prof. N.R Gowri Khateeb SM Raqeeb

Dept.of Civil Engineering Dept. of Civil Engineering.
HKBKCE HKBKCE
Bengaluru,India Bengaluru,India
[email protected] [email protected]

Mohammed Abdul Muizz Mohammed Quisar

Dept. of Civil Engineering Dept. of Civil Engineering
HKBKCE HKBKCE
Bengaluru,India Bengaluru, India

Abstract—: Freshwater is becoming more and more scarce

due to population growth's increased demand. One strategy for has emerged as a promising solution. Biofiltration harnesses the
alleviating the freshwater deficit is the reuse of greywater. natural processes of microbial degradation to remove organic
Greywater may be hazardous to health if it is not properly contaminants and nutrients from greywater, resulting in treated
treated, so it must be thoroughly cleaned and compliant before
being utilized again for any specific purpose. Therefore, to treat
water suitable for reuse in irrigation, toilet flushing, and other
and reuse greywater, a more inventive and trustworthy proven non-potable applications. Many studies have been carried out in
treatment procedure is needed. Wastewater management that is the past to evaluate the recycling greywater using biofiltration
sustainable is offered by the biofiltration method of treating and built wetlands [2].Biofiltration technique uses different
greywater. In this study, we treated greywater using waste kinds of filter media beds to get rid of different kinds of
materials as filter media, including eggshells, pebbles, and pollutants from greywater.[3,4,5] .This proves as one of the cost
coconut shell woodchip. In this study, we treated greywater using effective and economically viable solution to treat greywater.
waste materials as filter media, including eggshells, pebbles, and
coconut shell woodchip. In this study, we treated greywater using Therefore, the current study focuses on developing biofilter
waste materials as filter media, including eggshells, pebbles, and units that uses waste materials as the filter media, such as egg
coconut shell woodchip. Using the waste material, the findings shells, wood chips, and coconut shells for treating greywater
revealed that reduction in Turbidity, TDS, BOD and COD was
II METHODOLOGY
achieved successfully. Therefore, the biofilter that has been
created can effectively treat greywater. A. Experimental set up and Greywater collection

Keywords—Freshwater, Greywater, Biofiltration, Waste The filtration setup consisted of plastic bottles filled with filter
materials material, such as sand, charcoal, pebbles, coconut shells,
eggshells and wood chips. Material was stacked six centimeters
I. INTRODUCTION
high within each filter unit. The local market was the source of
The increasing demands on freshwater resources around pebbles, charcoal, and sand. Woodchips were acquired from a
the world necessitate a paradigm shift in water management local furniture manufacturing business. Coconut shells and
practices in order to ensure the sustainability and availability eggshells was collected from our house(Fig. 1) depicts a
of clean water for current and future generations. A growing schematic design of the suggested biofilter setup.Working model
number of individuals’ urbanisation, industrialization, of the biofilter is shown in figure 2.
intensification of agriculture, and climate change are
contributing to the worsening of freshwater issues, such as
pollution, water scarcity, and the degradation of aquatic
ecosystems. Given this, reusing greywater stands out as a
viable tactic to deal with these issues.
Greywater, the wastewater from domestic activities other
than flushing the toilet, is a substantial but frequently
disregarded part of domestic sewage. Improper handling and
disposal of it can lead to environmental issues such as soil and
water contamination, freshwater resource depletion, and even Fig.1 Configuration of the biofilter unit
health risks. Conventional techniques for treating greywater,
like filtration, chemical disinfection, and sedimentation, can be
expensive to operate and may not be sufficient to handle the
intricate makeup of greywater.
In recent years, there has been growing interest in exploring 12
sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives for
greywater treatment [1].Among these alternatives; biofiltration
Volume 12, Issue 04 Published by, www.ijert.org ISSN: 2278-0181
 ICSACID-24 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)

Fig 4. Turbidity of water sample

Fig.2.Working model of the biofilter unit

C. Effect of TDS:
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) represent the combined
B. Filtration test: content of all inorganic and organic substances contained in a
A sample of greywater was obtained from the kitchen sink liquid, which can significantly affect the treatment of greywater.
and the washing machine, two distinct sources. Each filter unit As in the figure 4 the maximum removal efficiency is 97.05% for
received a total of 1 litre, which was then left to sit for 4 hours. configuration 1.
Following that, physiochemical studies were performed on the
sample collected. The same process was repeated for a week on
alternate days. The following significant parameters were
measured: pH, turbidity,TDS, BOD and COD.

III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

The various parameters such as pH, turbidity, TDS, BOD
and COD of the untreated and treated wastewater were
estimated.

A. Effect of pH
Greywater pH depends largely on the water supply's
pH.The pH of the treated water samples was around the 6.5to
8.5, suggesting that it can be used for reuse after treatment Fig 5. TDS of the water sample

D. Effects of BOD:
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) is a critical parameter
in wastewater as it indicates the amount of organic matter
present, which directly impacts the treatment process,
particularly biofiltration systems technology. The percentage
reduction in BOD of various water samples (Fig 5) was found to
be in the range of 35-88%. Maximum 88% removal efficiency
was obtained for CF4.

Fig. 3. pH of the water sample

B. Effect of Turbidity:
Turbidity is a measure of suspended solids, and itis vital for
maintaining the effectiveness of the filtration technology. The
percentage reduction in turbidity of various water samples
(Fig 3) was found to be in the range of 15–60%. Maximum
percentage removal of 87% turbidity was obtained for the CF1
followed by CF3 which showed 57% reduction in turbidity.

Fig 6. BOD graph of the water sample

E. Effects of COD:
Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) is an important parameter
in greywater treatment, representing the total amount of oxygen
13

Volume 12, Issue 04 Published by, www.ijert.org ISSN: 2278-0181

 ICSACID-24 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)

required to oxidize both organic and inorganic matter in the

water. The presence of high COD levels in greywater can
significantly affect the treatment process; particularly in
biofiltration systems.There was a reduction of almost 60% for
CF4.

Fig 7. COD of the water sample

IV CONCLUSION

 The percentage of BOD reduction and TDS removal

was as high as 88% and 97.05% showing suitable
removal of biodegradable organic compounds and
dissolved solids through this treatment process.
 57% reduction in Turbidity was also achieved by
using the waste material
 pH after treatment was obtained in neutral range.
 Based on the above investigation biofiltration using
waste materials can be considered as promising
alternative to the conventional methods available.
 This developed design is simple, eco-friendly and
economically viable treatment method.

References

[1] Jorge Alejandro Silva “Wastewater Treatment And Reuse

For Sustainable Water Resources Management”,
Sustainability, MDPI, 12 July 2023.
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[3] Compaore, C. , Maiga, Y. , Ouili, A. , Nikiema, M. and
Ouattara, A. “Purification Potential Of Local Media In The
Pre-Treatment Of Greywater Using Vertical Biofilters
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[4 ]Dr.A.S.Kanagalakhmi, Yamuna A, Sornaalakshmi R, and
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[5] Belal Bakheet Veljko Prodanovic , Ana Deletic and David
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Process For Treatment Of Water And Wastewater”,
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Engineering,Volume7,14August2022
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Volume 12, Issue 04 Published by, www.ijert.org ISSN: 2278-0181