An Innovative Role of Biofiltration in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs)

Many physico-chemical and operational factors influence the performance, treatment costs and long-term stability of biofilters for the treatment of wastewater. An Innovative Role of Biofiltration in Wastewater Treatment Plants focuses on identifying the factors that affect biofiltration, such as the hydraulic retention time of the biofiltration system, the type and characteristics of the filter and the attached biomass, explains their influence and provides guidelines on how to control these factors to optimize better operation with respect to pollutant control present in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The fundamental basis of treatment in biofilters is the action of pollutant-degrading microorganisms and consequently the book also discusses in depth about the microbial ecology of biofiltration. In addition, it explores the applications of biofiltration including the removal of emerging pollutants.

1. Abetment techniques
2. Biological based methods for the removal of VOCs and heavy metals
3. Performance parameters of biofiltration
4. Analysis of product streams in biofilter columns
5. Research status of biofiltration
6. Biofilter media
7. Controlling factors and operation of biofilters
8. Microbial ecology of biofiltration
9. Design and evaluation of open biofilters for the treatment of emerging contaminants
10. Mechanisms of biofiltration
11. Applications of biofiltration

Dr. Maulin P. Shah is Chief Scientist and Head of the Industrial Waste Water Research Lab, Division of Applied and Environmental Microbiology Lab at Enviro Technology Ltd., Ankleshwar, Gujarat, India. His work focuses on the impact of industrial pollution on the microbial diversity of wastewater following cultivation-dependent and cultivation-independent analysis. His major work involves isolation, screening, identification, and genetically engineering high-impact microbes for the degradation of hazardous materials. His research interests include biological wastewater treatment, environmental microbiology, biodegradation, bioremediation, and phytoremediation of environmental pollutants from industrial wastewaters.

Susana Rodríguez-Couto (female) got her B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Chemistry (Industrial Chemistry) from the University of Santiago de Compostela in 1992 and her Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1999 from the University of Vigo, obtaining the maximal grade (magna cum laude) and, in addition, she was awarded with the Extraordinary Prize for Doctoral Thesis in Chemistry. She worked as an Associate Professor and an Isidro Parga Pondal Senior Researcher at the University of Vigo (2000-2004), as a Ramón y Cajal Senior Researcher at Rovira i Virgili University (2004-2008) and as an Ikerbasque Research Professor (2009-2019). She has also worked as an Invited Researcher at the Institute from Environmental Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology (Austria) and at the Department of Biological Engineering, University of Minho (Portugal). In 2008, she received the I3 Professor from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Education to the recognition of an outstanding research activity. In March 2021 she is joining LUT School of Engineering Science at Mikkeli, Finland, as a Full Professor in biological water treatment. She has published more than 140 articles in highly reputed international journals (h index 42). She is editor of several journals (3Biotech, Frontiers)