The robust organic matter removal in a new trickling filter packing is intended as pretreatment for artificial wetland polishing of wastewater.

The effects of flow and concentration of whey on the removal of organic matter at the new packing of a trickling filter were studied, and results confirmed that both variables and their interaction affected the removal efficiency; thus, the organic load that is a combination of flow and concentration, defines the removal.

At moderate organic loads, the higher void-packing-volume available for air flow, increases the removal rate, but with less packing-specific area, the removal capacity of very high organic loads was reduced.