The Operational Method of Biological Filtration

Béla Tolnai

BioModel Bt. Budapest, Hungary

Abstract: During bank filtration, water is cleaned in a natural way. The well water here is clean, it tastes well and, from a microbiological point of view, it shows an extremely high level of stability. This natural one-stage water filtration process is easy to observe and model. Biological filtration is a complex process depending on a large number of variables. Consequently, for its mathematical description we must rely on dimensional analysis. The model established this way can then be extended to the field of wastewater treatment, based on considerations of similarity. By generalizing the biological mode of action in the above manner, we can lay down the foundations for the theory of biological filtration.

The processes of biological drinking water production and wastewater treatment do not differ from each other. Water purification is based on the same mode of action in both cases, and they are both driven by the same forces. The only difference is that wastewater is considerably more contaminated. Bank filtration has been scaled by nature, whereas wastewater treatment relies on man-made technologies. In no way can it be seen as a mistake if we, after “spying” on bank filtration and finding out about the practices it implements to produce such a high quality of drinking water, should set out to be cleaning our wastewaters in the same way, according to the identified similarity criteria.

Key words: bank filtration, wastewater treatment, similarity, modeling