Biodegradation-assisted removal of sulfur-based odor compounds in rural drinking water using durable chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol biochar aerogels.

Rural drinking water often suffers from unpleasant odors like dimethyl sulfide (DMDS) and dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS) due to poor raw water quality and limited treatment options. This study introduces durable chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) biochar aerogels-supported bioflims in ultrafiltration (BAB-UF) reactors, where the incorporation of PVA significantly enhances structural integrity, biodegradation resistance, and functional lifespan, providing an efficient, sustainable solution for removing odorous compounds from rural water. Experimental results showed the enhanced chitosan/PVA porous biochar aerogels (CPPCA) displayed excellent biocapacity and structural stability. After 63 days of continuous operation, the degradation rate of biochar aerogels with 0.2 wt% PVA (CP2PCA) was only 8.2 %. The one-step membrane reactors utilizing PVA-enhanced aerogels achieved removal efficiencies for DMDS/DMTS pollutants of up to 98.4 %, surpassing systems without PVA. These findings indicate the potential for improved aerogels in rural drinking water treatment, providing a viable solution for effective and low-maintenance water purification.