Biologically active filtration (BAF) for metabolic 1,4-dioxane removal from contaminated groundwater

1,4-Dioxane is a persistent contaminant that is not effectively removed by conventional water treatment processes. In this study, bench-scale granular activated carbon (GAC)-based biologically active filtration (BAF) systems were developed to metabolically degrade 1,4-dioxane at environmentally relevant levels (<1000 μg L⁻¹). BAF was established using predeveloped biologically activated carbon particles by mixing a 1,4-dioxane-degrading microbial community with granular activated carbon. 1,4-Dioxane removal performance was examined at a range of 1,4-dioxane concentrations (100–1000 μg L⁻¹), hydraulic loading rates (3.6–14 cm h⁻¹), and with the presence of co-contaminants (natural organic matter (NOM) and 1,1-DCE). BAFs achieved 69 ± 7 % removal with an influent 1,4-dioxane concentration of 100 μg L⁻¹ and hydraulic loading rates of 3.6–14 cm h⁻¹, with the lowest effluent concentration of 21 μg L⁻¹. The presence of NOM and 1,1-DCE negatively and irreversibly impacted 1,4-dioxane removal performance of BAF, and pretreatment processes to remove co-contaminants are crucial to maintain the 1,4-dioxane removal efficiency. Microbial analysis revealed the enrichment of 1,4-dioxane degrading species (CB1190-like bacteria) and functional genes responsible for 1,4-dioxane biodegradation (dxmB and aldh) at the top 12 cm of the columns, suggesting the effectiveness of biological 1,4-dioxane removal within short column lengths. This study demonstrated effective metabolic 1,4-dioxane removal at environmentally relevant concentrations by the BAFs, and can provide insights into designing better 1,4-dioxane remediation strategies.