Effects of hydrogen peroxide on an upward flow biological filter bed (BFB) containing manganese dioxide fillers

Abstract

Generally, there is some residual hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) present in treated wastewater from the Fenton and Fenton-like oxidation processes. We investigated the influence of residual H₂O₂ on a lab-scale upward flow biological filter bed (BFB) containing manganese dioxide (MnO₂) particles. The H₂O₂ in the feed wastewater was rapidly decomposed into oxygen due to the catalytic role of the MnO₂ particles in the bottom layer of the BFB, resulting in a significant increase in the efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal. A concentration of 120 mg L⁻¹ H₂O₂ in the feed wastewater increased the COD removal efficiency by 39%. This increase can be attributed to the generation of dissolved oxygen (DO) from H₂O₂ decomposition due to aerobic microorganism growth.