Laboratory evaluation of perlite bed filtration in water treatment

Common materials used in the filtration process are sand, anthracite coal and garnet which are rather expensive materials in Turkey. The suitability of abundantly available crushed raw perlite as a novel potential filter medium in gravity fed rapid filters of drinking water treatment was investigated by a set of experiments performed in a pilot plant. Comparisons of experimental results are carried out by examining turbidity concentration‐depth‐time, head loss‐depth‐time relations and filtration modulus, fall velocity, durability and breakthrough index both for sand and perlite bed.