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SUMMARY:Unravelling the Mechanisms of the Biological Oxygen-Dosed Activate
 d Carbon (BODAC®) Technology -  A bioprocess for ultrapure water producti
 on
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260429T090000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260429T103000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260812T031007Z
UID:indico-event-80@eventi.irsa.cnr.it
DESCRIPTION:                                         
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           Seminari IRSA-2026\n\n \n\nUnravelling the Mechanisms of t
 he Biological Oxygen-Dosed Activated Carbon (BODAC®) Technology -  A bio
 process for ultrapure water production \n\n \n\n\nDr. Cristina Gagliano\n
 \nWetsus\, The Netherlands\n\n \n\n\n                        
                                                  
                                                  
                                                  
                                                  
                                                  
                                                  
                                                  
                                                  
                                                  
                                                  
                                                  
                                                  
                                                  
           \n\nThe 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 tr
 eatment train consisting of ultrafiltration (UF)\, biological activated ca
 rbon (BAC) filtration\, and reverse osmosis (RO) before electrodialysis (E
 D). The BAC filtration is operated via the BODAC® (Biological Oxygen-Dose
 d Activated Carbon) technology\, an innovative bioprocess that combines BA
 C 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). \n\nSince 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 f
 eatures: (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.\n\nTwo-year full-scale monitoring\, mass balance anal
 yses\, microbiological characterisation\, and pilot-scale testing combined
  with modelling have revealed how aged BODAC granules — despite a reduce
 d surface area compared to the virgin carbon— sustain a resilient\, EPS-
 rich biofilm dominated by nitrifying and manganese-oxidizing bacteria. A s
 table\, resident biofilm was consistently identified even after backwashin
 g. This biofilm enables complete nitrification (ammonium and nitrite fully
  converted to nitrate)\, near-complete manganese and iron removal\, and ef
 fective reduction of soluble organics (especially proteins) and fouling pr
 ecursors. As a result\, RO biofouling has been prevented for over a decade
 . \n\nThe two-year full-scale monitoring campaign demonstrated BODAC achie
 ves ≥70–80% removal of several reference OMPs through combined adsorpt
 ion and biodegradation. Pilot experiments and modelling identified an opti
 mal empty bed contact time of ≈ 26 min to maintain robust performance ac
 ross 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.\n\
 nCollectively\, these findings establish BODAC as a robust\, low-maintenan
 ce bioprocess that integrates carbon regeneration\, nutrient polishing\, m
 etals 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 an
 d environmental impact.\n\nI partecipanti registrati riceveranno un link 
 personale per connettersi mediante la piattaforma Teams.\n\n \n\n \n\nht
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