Browsing by Author "Carrera Lasluisa, Emilia Adriana"

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    Diseño y construcción de un biofiltro a escala con material lignocelulósico para la remoción de contaminantes de aguas residuales domésticas de la Universidad Técnica de Cotopaxi- Salache
    (Universidad Técnica de Cotopaxi (UTC) Ciencias Agropecuarias y Recursos Naturales. Ambiental, 2026-10-15) Carrera Lasluisa, Emilia Adriana; Sanguña Mullo, Karen Nicol; Ágreda Oña, José Luis
    Biofilters are a sustainable alternative for wastewater treatment, as they use natural materials capable of retaining pollutants and improving water quality. The objective of this research was to design and construct a full-scale biofilter using sugarcane bagasse and sawdust as lignocellulosic materials, characterize the secondary effluent by determining pH, temperature, turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS), and chemical oxygen demand (COD), evaluate removal efficiency, and compare the performance of both filter materials. The research was conducted using a quantitative, applied approach with a comparative experimental design. The design of the biofilters was based on the technical criteria established in the ANSI/AWWA B100-25 Standard for the arrangement of sand and gravel filter layers, adapting these criteria to the use of lignocellulosic materials in a full-scale biofiltration system. Two downflow biofilters were constructed with layers of gravel, sand, sugarcane bagasse, and sawdust as filter media. The evaluation was conducted by analyzing pH, temperature, turbidity, TDS, and COD before and after treatment. The results showed that both biofilters achieved 100% turbidity removal. The sawdust biofilter performed best, reducing TDS from 2.78 mg/L to 2.40 mg/L and COD from 47 mg/L to 7 mg/L. In contrast, the biofilter using sugarcane bagasse increased TDS to 3.51 mg/L and COD to 77 mg/L, due to the release of soluble compounds and organic matter. It was concluded that sawdust was the most efficient material for the supplementary treatment of domestic wastewater, while sugarcane bagasse requires pretreatment to optimize its performance as a filter medium.