Unravelling the Mechanisms of the Biological Oxygen-Dosed Activated Carbon (BODAC®) Technology - A bioprocess for ultrapure water production

Name: Unravelling the Mechanisms of the Biological Oxygen-Dosed Activated Carbon (BODAC®) Technology - A bioprocess for ultrapure water production
Start: 2026-04-29T11:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-04-29T12:30:00+02:00
Location: No location set

Wednesday 29 Apr 2026, 11:00 → 12:30 Europe/Rome

Description

Seminari IRSA-2026

Unravelling the Mechanisms of the Biological Oxygen-Dosed Activated Carbon (BODAC®) Technology - A bioprocess for ultrapure water production

Dr. Cristina Gagliano

Wetsus, The Netherlands

The Puurwaterfabriek in Emmen (NL), produces ultrapure water from secondary effluent of a nearby wastewater treatment plant for industrial reuse. Since its start-up in 2010, the plant has employed a treatment train consisting of ultrafiltration (UF), biological activated carbon (BAC) filtration, and reverse osmosis (RO) before electrodialysis (ED). The BAC filtration is operated via the BODAC® (Biological Oxygen-Dosed Activated Carbon) technology, an innovative bioprocess that combines BAC filtration with periodic dosing of pure oxygen. After more than 15 years of operation without the need of carbon regeneration or replacement, the BODAC step has proven particularly effective in protecting the downstream RO membranes from fouling while achieving substantial removal of organic micropollutants (OMPs).

Since 2019, research at Wetsus coordinated by Dr. M. Cristina Gagliano in collaboration with the owner company NWTR has focused on understanding the underlying mechanisms behind two BODAC key features: (1) the virtual absence of fouling on the RO membranes, and (2) the consistent removal of a large fraction of organic micropollutants from the influent water.

Two-year full-scale monitoring, mass balance analyses, microbiological characterisation, and pilot-scale testing combined with modelling have revealed how aged BODAC granules — despite a reduced surface area compared to the virgin carbon— sustain a resilient, EPS-rich biofilm dominated by nitrifying and manganese-oxidizing bacteria. A stable, resident biofilm was consistently identified even after backwashing. This biofilm enables complete nitrification (ammonium and nitrite fully converted to nitrate), near-complete manganese and iron removal, and effective reduction of soluble organics (especially proteins) and fouling precursors. As a result, RO biofouling has been prevented for over a decade.

The two-year full-scale monitoring campaign demonstrated BODAC achieves ≥70–80% removal of several reference OMPs through combined adsorption and biodegradation. Pilot experiments and modelling identified an optimal empty bed contact time of ≈ 26 min to maintain robust performance across seasonal temperature variations. Manganese oxidising bacteria within the biofilm were found to convert soluble Mn2+ into crystalline manganese oxides nanoparticles, likely acting as catalysts towards OMPs removal.

Collectively, these findings establish BODAC as a robust, low-maintenance bioprocess that integrates carbon regeneration, nutrient polishing, metals oxidation, and micropollutant attenuation. The technology offers a sustainable quaternary treatment solution for water reuse, supporting EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive objectives while minimising costs and environmental impact.

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Seminari IRSA-CNR

gdl_seminari@irsa.cnr.it

- 11:00 → 12:30
  
  Unravelling the Mechanisms of the Biological Oxygen-Dosed Activated Carbon (BODAC®) Technology - A bioprocess for ultrapure water production 1h 30m