The 12th International Conference on Water Resource and Environment (WRE 2026)

Abstract: It has been demonstrated that the abatement of dissolved organic matter and micropollutants in drinking water by biological activated carbon (BAC) filters with aged media deteriorates due to the decreased porosity and aerobic metabolism in dense biofilm. In this study, micro-nano bubbles (MNBs) were introduced to the influent of young and aged BAC filters to potentially enhance performance. Results showed that intermittent MNB introduction could enhance biodegradable micropollutant abatement in aged BAC filters. MNB introduction could yield a ~10%–70% relative increase in removal efficiencies of biodegradable micropollutants in 15-year BAC filters. Intermittent MNB introduction could induce localized reshaping of dense biofilm architecture, resulting in recovered pore structures in biofilm, which were pivotal for convective mass transfer. Correspondingly, abundances of Bacteroidota, Chloroflexota, Acidobacteriota, and Patescibacteria associated with aerobic metabolism of organic substances could be elevated in aged biofilm. The findings of this study support intermittent MNB introduction as a new approach to restore dense biofilm in aged BAC filters, resulting in enhanced biodegradation of micropollutants.

Biography: Dr. Chao Liu is a full Professor of Environmental Engineering and group leader at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences (RCEES), Chinese Academy of Sciences. He also holds adjunct appointments with University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS). Prof. Liu received his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from UCAS in 2009. After his Ph.D, he had worked at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag). Before joining RCEES in 2020, he was a faculty at Clemson University. Dr. Liu’s research focuses on the development of innovative hybrid water treatment processes for the provision of safe and clean drinking water from non-conventional source waters. His primary research is on the removal of undesired constituents and mitigating the formation of toxic by-products in water treatment. His research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Ministry of Science and Technology of China, U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Water Research Foundation, and industry. His findings have been published in the premier journals of his field – Nature Water, Environmental Science and Technology, and Water Research. Professor Liu is a recipient of the National Overseas High-level Talent Program. He is an Associate Editor of the journal of Water Research. He also serves various Advisory Committees both nationally and internationally.