The Role of Bioactivity in Biofiltration Processes

Biofiltration for drinking water treatment is undergoing a paradigm shift that is taking it from a passive process to an engineered process. Engineered biofiltration is an emerging technology focused on the purposeful operation of biofilters to achieve conditions that are beneficial to bioactivity and the subsequent biodegradation of contaminants. Biofiltration can shift some of the burden of contaminant removal from chemically-driven processes to a biodegradation process, resulting in chemical and cost savings that can improve the sustainability of the overall drinking water treatment process. Despite reliance on biofilms to provide contaminant biodegradation, the functional potential of microbial communities present in drinking water biofilters is still largely unknown. Therefore, the overarching objective of this research program is to provide new insights into the functional potential of the microbial communities present in drinking water biofilters. Specific themes of this research program include identifying novel parameters that have potential to rapidly indicate the overall bioactivity and viability of the biofilter microbiome, exploring the underlying microbial community structure associated with bioactivity outcomes and developing treatment technologies that support active and functional core microbiomes. This research program will train an estimated eight highly qualified personnel over a five-year period. The overall research program will strive to advance biofiltration knowledge to support sustainable water treatment. It is anticipated that findings from this research program will support drinking water treatment innovation by contributing to the understanding of the metabolic and phylogenetic conditions present in biofilters.