Characterization of Organic Carbon and Microbial Communities for the Optimization of Biologically Active Carbon (BAC) Filtration for Potable Reuse

Ozone-biologically active carbon (O3/BAC) filtration promotes “fit for purpose” advanced treatment for potable water reuse and is an economical alternative to more costly and potentially less sustainable potable water reuse approaches, such as ultrafiltration or reverse osmosis. This research evaluated the performance of Hampton Roads Sanitation District’s SWIFT Pilot Facility O3/BAC processes in terms of removal of pathogens, nutrients, organic pollutants, and constituents of emerging concern, including pharmaceuticals and antibiotic resistance genes. This project also applied biomolecular analysis, including qPCR of select genes, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing for microbial community profiling, and shotgun metagenomic sequencing to profile the taxonomic composition, resistome, and monooxygenase functional gene composition of the BAC microbial communities. Published in 2020.

Originally funded as WERF project U1R16.