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Korbinian Kätzl, Manfred Lübken, Edith Nettmann, Stefan Krimmler, Marc Wichern

• The efficiency of anaerobic biofilters (AnBF) as low-cost wastewater treatment systems was investigated. \(\it Miscanthus\)-biochar was used as filtration media and compared with sand as a common reference material. Raw sewage from a municipal wastewater treatment plant was stored in a sedimentation tank for two days to allow pre-settlement of wastewater particles. Subsequently, wastewater was treated by AnBFs at 22 °C room temperature at a hydraulic loading rate of 0.05 m∙h\(^{−1}\) with an empty bed contact time of 14.4 h and a mean organic loading rate of 509 \(\pm\) 173 gCOD∙m\(^{−3}\)∙d\(^{−1}\). Mean removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) of biochar filters was with 74 \(\pm\) 18% significantly higher than of sand filters (61 \(\pm\) 12%). In contrast to sand filters with a mean reduction of 1.18 \(\pm\) 0.31 log-units, \(\textit {E. coli}\) removal through biochar was with 1.35 \(\pm\) 0.27 log-units significantly higher and increased with experimental time. Main removal took place within the \(\it schmutzdecke\), a biologically active dirt layer that develops simultaneously on the surface of filter beds. Since the \(\textit {E. coli}\) contamination of both filter materials was equal, the higher removal efficiency of biochar filters is probably a result of an improved biodegradation within deeper zones of the filter bed. Overall, performance of biochar filters was better or equal compared to sand and have thus demonstrated the suitability of \(\it Miscanthus\)-biochar as filter media for wastewater treatment.