BACTERIAL REGENERATION IN BIOLOGICAL ACTIVATED CARBON SYSTEMS

The ability of granular activated carbon (GAC) and bone char to be reg enerated by bacteriological activity has been investigated using an az o-dye adsorbate. The azo dye/granular activated carbon system proved d ifficult to regenerate due to poor dye desorption. However, the non-ac tivated bone char/azo dye system was successfully regenerated using a consortia of bacteria. Although azo dyes are relatively resistant to d egradation, the consortia of bacteria including Flavobacterium sp. was able to break the azo bond and degrade the dye. These results support the hypothesis of adsorbent regeneration occurring by the desorption of sorbate from the pore structure to the biomass in the macropores of the adsorbent. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) investigations hav e shown that bacteria successfully colonize the macropore structure of GAC and bone char adsorbents.