Study of Performance Aeration Rate Effects on Iron and Manganese Removal in Groundwater Using Gravitational Aeration Tower System (GATS)

Abstract Groundwater is one of the significant sources for water supply for various purpose. However, it is easier to get in contact with contaminants such as iron and manganese. Iron and manganese contaminant can be treated by aeration process before goto post-filtration system. The aeration process as pre-treatment has done it by using Gravitational Aeration Tower System (GATS). The aeration performance in this experiment has controlled the airflow and water flowrate to observers iron and manganese removal from groundwater than compare the water quality based on the guideline National Drinking Water Quality Standards by Ministry of Health Malaysia. The study has been carried out at the existing tube well in the Research Centre for Soft Soils (RECESS), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM). The system started from pumping out the groundwater from the tube well and flows it through GATS with a different flow rate of 5.0 L/min and 10.0 L/min, and an airflow rate 0.5 L/min and 1.5 L/min. The sampling of groundwater was taken at before and after the aeration process through GATS and analyze the parameter such as pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), iron and manganese. The results show that pH was in the range of 6.90 to 7.01 and the DO value before GATS maximum is 3.64 mg/L but after aerated with GATS is 6.67 mg/L. Hence, the maximum iron removal efficiency is 10.63%, and the maximum manganese removal efficiency is 14.25%. Aeration process by GATS shows that suitable for DO value increasing than can remove iron and manganese in groundwater.