# Shifting from Conventional to Organic Filter Media in Wastewater Biofiltration Treatment: A Review
## 3 Filter Media Selection on the Efficiency of Biofililtration
### Conventional vs. Organic Filter Media Biofiltration Systems
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline  & \multicolumn{4}{c}{**Organic Media**} \\ \hline
**Organic Material** & **Operating Condition** & **Removal Efficiency** & **Additional Remark** & **Reference** \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{Wheat Straw} & Temperature: 11 \({}^{\circ}\)C & \multirow{4}{*}{TSS: 89.0\%} & \multirow{4}{*}{Treatment of dairy wastewater} & \multirow{4}{*}{[49]} \\  & Influent rate: 2.7 L/day & & NH\({}_{4}\)-N: 20.0\% & \\  & & TKN: 15.0\% & & \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{Fibrous Peat} & Hydraulic Loading & BOD\({}_{5}\): 96.0\% & \multirow{4}{*}{Treatment of domestic strength} & \multirow{4}{*}{[90]} \\  & Rate: & COD\({}_{5}\): 84.0\% & & \\  & 180 L/m\({}^{2}\)d & TSS: 94.0\% & & \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{Wood chips} & Influent flow rate: & \multirow{4}{*}{Nitrate: 99.0\%} & \multirow{4}{*}{Treatment of aquaculture} & \multirow{4}{*}{[30]} \\  & 15 mL/min & & & wastewater \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{Wheat Straw} & Volumetric loading rate: & \multirow{4}{*}{} & \multirow{4}{*}{} & \\  & 340–1380 gN/m\({}^{3}\)d & & & \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{Mix of peat and wood chips} & Aeration rate: & \multirow{4}{*}{TSS: 98.0\%} & \multirow{4}{*}{Treatment of piggery wastewater} & \multirow{4}{*}{[91]} \\  & 3.4–34 m\({}^{3}\)/m\({}^{2}\)/h & & & \\ \cline{1-1}  & Filtration Velocity & BOD\({}_{5}\): 99.0\% & & \\ \cline{1-1}  & \(<\)0.5 m\({}^{3}\)/m\({}^{2}\)d & & & \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{Mixture of endemic tropical woodchips and natural fibers} & Hydraulic rate: & BOD\({}_{5}\): 98.7\% & \multirow{4}{*}{Treatment of municipal wastewater} & \multirow{4}{*}{[56]} \\  & 0.3 m\({}^{3}\)/m\({}^{2}\)d & & & \\ \cline{1-1}  & Aeration rate: & \multirow{4}{*}{Faecal Coliform: 99.9\%} & \multirow{4}{*}{Treatment of municipal wastewater} & \multirow{4}{*}{[92]} \\  & 0.68 m\({}^{3}\) air/m\({}^{2}\)/h & & & \\ \hline Wild Thorn & Superficial Flow Rate: & BOD\({}_{5}\): 76.0\% & \multirow{4}{*}{Treatment of municipal wastewater} & \multirow{4}{*}{[93]} \\ \cline{1-1}  & 15 m\({}^{3}\)/m\({}^{2}\)d & & & \\ \cline{1-1}  & Temperature: 36–40 \({}^{\circ}\)C & & & \\ \cline{1-1} \cline{3-4}  & & BOD\({}_{5}\): 62.0\% & & \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{Pruning waste of _Caeslpina pulcherrim_} & Hydraulic Loading & \multirow{4}{*}{} & \multirow{4}{*}{TKN: 93.0\%} & \multirow{4}{*}{Start-up period: 15 days} & \multirow{4}{*}{[93]} \\  & Rate: & & & \\ \cline{1-1}  & 0.078 m\({}^{3}\)/m\({}^{2}\)/d & & & \\ \cline{1-1}  & and _Jazranda_ & Aeration Rate: & \multirow{4}{*}{TCS: 96.0\%} & \multirow{4}{*}{Treatment of school wastewater} & \multirow{4}{*}{[93]} \\ \cline{1-1}  & 10 m\({}^{3}\)/m\({}^{2}\)/h & & & \\ \cline{1-1}  & Temperature: 22 \({}^{\circ}\)C & & & \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{Brewer’s Spent Grains} & HRT: 100 min & \multirow{4}{*}{NO-3N level was always below the 200 mg/L} & \multirow{4}{*}{Start-up period: 1 month} & \multirow{4}{*}{[59]} \\  & Influent nitrate loading: & \multirow{4}{*}{} & \multirow{4}{*}{Treatment of groundwater} & \multirow{4}{*}{[59]} \\  & 200 mg/L & & & \\ \cline{1-1}  & pH: 7.5–7.9 & & & \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{_Agave_ waste fibers} & Aeration rate: & BOD: 92.0\% & \multirow{4}{*}{Start-up period: 3 months} & \multirow{4}{*}{[31]} \\  & 0.62 m\({}^{3}\)/m\({}^{2}\)/h & & & \\ \cline{1-1}  & Hydraulic loading rate: & \multirow{4}{*}{Helminth eggs: 99.9\%} & \multirow{4}{*}{Treatment of municipal wastewater} & \multirow{4}{*}{[31]} \\ \cline{1-1}  & 0.27–1.34 m\({}^{3}\)/m\({}^{2}\)/d & & & \\ \cline{1-1} \cline{3-4}  & & & & \\ \cline{1-1} \cline{3-4}  & & & & \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: _Cont._Quartz sand and anthracite have been widely utilized as the biofilter media in water and wastewater treatment due to their advantages such as cost-effectiveness and easy availability [32]. [PERSON] et al. [54] found that the stable properties and smaller size of sand promote the effective contact between the pollutants and the biofilm.