Effects of backwashing on the prosobranch snail Potamopyrgus jenkinsi Smith in granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorbers

Michael Weeks, Barry Leadbeater, Maureen Callow, Jeffrey Bale, JB Holden

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle

24 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorbers are often the penultimate stage of surface water treatment and provide ideal habitats for invertebrates. Proliferation of chlorine-resistant invertebrates in GAC adsorbers may lead to their efflux into distribution systems, possibly resulting in contamination of customers' tap water. GAC adsorber sampling and laboratory experiments were undertaken to determine the effects of routine backwashing on GAC adsorber populations of the chlorine-resistant snail Potamopyryus jenkinsi at a water treatment works. GAC adsorber sampling results suggested that routine backwashing altered the spatial distribution of snails, but not their overall abundance. In small-scale glass columns 40-50% of the smallest (0.3-0.6 mm shell height) juvenile snails were removed by a GAC backwash bed expansion of 30-40%; however, bed expansions of greater than 20% were not possible in the GAC adsorbers. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2690-2696
Number of pages7
JournalWater Research
Volume41
Issue number12
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2007

Keywords

  • granular activated carbon
  • pest management
  • backwash
  • Potamopyryus
  • snail

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