Estimulation of electroactive bacteria to improve wastewater treatment with biofilters. Bacterial comunity in electrogenic biofilters for waswater treatment

Four laboratory-scale HSSF electrochemical biofilters were constructed for defining the best design and operational conditions to maximize wastewater pollutants removal: a control unit with standard siliceous gravel, two single-electrode configurations and a polarized unit (with an applied potential). They were fed with urban wastewater. Two different kind of materials were used as biofiltering bed: gravel and coke granules (conductive material). They were operated during six months before the extraction of the samples. We studied the different microbial communities that grow in different conditions and materials.