초록 ▼

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, methods and apparatuses are provided for practically complete removal of one or more electron acceptors (excluding oxygen) from waters of various origins, while ensuring that an added excess of external carbon is also practically completely

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, methods and apparatuses are provided for practically complete removal of one or more electron acceptors (excluding oxygen) from waters of various origins, while ensuring that an added excess of external carbon is also practically completely removed using biological treatment. A method applies to waters that contain the target electron acceptor and a deficiency of carbon. One application of this method is the practically complete removal of nitrate from domestic wastewater (septic wastewater) while practically completely removing the added excess of external carbon, thus practically eliminating any increase of the biological oxygen demand of the water. Another method applies to waters that contain constituents that are potentially convertible to the target electron acceptor and may contain original carbon. One example of this method is aerobic pre-treatment of a water to yield nitrate and a deficiency of carbon, resulting in a water amenable to treatment via the previous method.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A method of treating a water comprising one or more electron acceptor(s) that are targeted for changing to another form and insufficient carbon to allow biological treatment methods to completely remove the electron acceptor(s), the method comprising: providing a region of bi

What is claimed is: 1. A method of treating a water comprising one or more electron acceptor(s) that are targeted for changing to another form and insufficient carbon to allow biological treatment methods to completely remove the electron acceptor(s), the method comprising: providing a region of biological treatment that contains microorganisms that remove the target electron acceptor(s); adding to the water an external carbon source in a manner that ensures the carbon source is present in the electron acceptor removal region in a quantity that is in excess of that required to remove the electron acceptor(s); providing a region of biological treatment that contains microorganisms that remove the excess external carbon source from the water; and adding a material or providing a process that causes the addition of dissolved oxygen to the water in a manner that ensures dissolved oxygen is present in the excess external carbon removal region in a quantity that is in excess of that required to remove the excess external carbon. 2. The water treatment method of claim 1 further including adding the external carbon source in or upstream of the electron acceptor removal region. 3. The water treatment method of claim 1 further including adding the material or providing the process that causes the addition of dissolved oxygen in or upstream of the excess external carbon removal region. 4. The water treatment method of claim 1 further including estimating the external carbon initial concentration by balancing the chemical reaction between the external carbon source and the electron acceptor(s). 5. The water treatment method of claim 4 further including approximating the concentration of the external carbon source required in the water as the sum of the multiplication of the mass concentration of each electron acceptor by the mass ratio of the carbon source to the given electron acceptor. 6. The water treatment method of claim 1 further including increasing the external carbon on-going concentration if the concentration(s) of the electron acceptor(s) measured after the electron acceptor removal region are in excess of the concentration(s) desired. 7. The water treatment method of claim 1 further including decreasing the external carbon on-going concentration if the concentration of the excess carbon measured after the excess carbon removal region is in excess of the concentration desired. 8. The water treatment method of claim 7 further including indirectly measuring the concentration of the excess carbon. 9. The water treatment method of claim 8 further including measuring the concentration of the excess carbon as the biological oxygen demand. 10. The water treatment method of claim 1 further including the addition of trace micronutrients to improve the health and viability of the microorganisms. 11. The water treatment method of claim 1 further including removing settleable solids. 12. The water treatment method of claim 1 further including filtering solids. 13. The water treatment method of claim 1 further including removing metals from the water. 14. The water treatment method of claim 1 further including adjusting the pH of the water. 15. The water treatment method of claim 1 further including reducing chlorinated compounds using reduced or zero valence metal(s). 16. The water treatment method of claim 15 further including reducing chlorinated compounds using the combination of reduced or zero valence metal(s) and fibrous organic carbon. 17. The water treatment method of claim 1 further including oxidizing constituent(s) of interest using a chemical oxidant. 18. The water treatment method of claim 17 further including selecting the chemical oxidant from the group comprising metal peroxides, metal oxides, permanganate, hydrogen peroxide, any other chemical oxidant, and combinations thereof. 19. The water treatment method of claim 1 further including disinfecting the water to reduce the quantity of microorganisms in the water after biological treatment steps are complete. 20. The water treatment method of claim 1 further including removing phosphorus. 21. The water treatment method of claim 1 further including selecting the biological treatment from the group comprising activated sludge processes, trickling filters, rotating biological contactors, sequencing batch reactors, fixed-film reactors, fluidized bed reactors, any other type of biological treatment processes or equipment, and combinations thereof. 22. The water treatment method of claim 1 further wherein the regions are tanks. 23. A method of treating a water that contains one or more constituent(s) of interest that must be removed from the water that must first be converted to a target electron acceptor(s) by an aerobic biological treatment process prior to their final removal via biological treatment and which may contain original carbon, the method comprising: providing a region of biological treatment that contains microorganisms that convert the constituent(s) of interest to the target electron acceptor(s) and may consume original carbon present in the water; adding a material or providing a process that causes the addition of dissolved oxygen to the water in a manner that ensures dissolved oxygen is present in the constituent conversion region in a quantity that is in excess of that required to at least convert the constituent(s) of interest to the target electron acceptor(s) if not also consume any original carbon; providing a region of biological treatment that contains microorganisms that remove the target electron acceptor(s); adding to the water an external carbon source in a manner that ensures the carbon source is present in the electron acceptor removal region in a quantity that is in excess of that required to remove the electron acceptor(s); providing a region of biological treatment that contains microorganisms that remove the excess external carbon source from the water; and adding a material or providing a process that causes the addition of dissolved oxygen to the water in a manner that ensures dissolved oxygen is present in the excess external carbon removal region in a quantity that is in excess of that required to remove the excess external carbon. 24. The water treatment method of claim 23 further including adding the material or process that causes the addition of dissolved oxygen in or upstream of the constituent conversion region. 25. The water treatment method of claim 23 further including adding the external carbon source in or upstream of the electron acceptor removal region. 26. The water treatment method of claim 23 further including adding the material or process that causes the addition of dissolved oxygen in or upstream of the external carbon removal region. 27. The water treatment method of claim 23 further including estimating the external carbon initial concentration by balancing the chemical reaction between the external carbon source and the electron acceptor(s). 28. The water treatment method of claim 27 further including approximating the concentration of the external carbon source required in the water as the sum of the multiplication of the mass concentration of each electron acceptor by the mass ratio of the carbon source to the given electron acceptor. 29. The water treatment method of claim 23 further including increasing the external carbon on-going concentration if the concentration(s) of the electron acceptor(s) measured after the electron acceptor removal region are in excess of the concentration(s) desired. 30. The water treatment method of claim 23 further including decreasing the external carbon on-going concentration if the concentration of the excess carbon measured after the excess carbon removal region is in excess of the concentration desired. 31. The water treatment method of claim 30 further including indirectly measuring the concentration of the excess carbon. 32. The water treatment method of claim 31 further including measuring the concentration of the excess carbon as the biological oxygen demand. 33. The water treatment method of claim 23 further including the addition of trace micronutrients to improve the health and viability of the microorganisms. 34. The water treatment method of claim 23 further including removing settleable solids. 35. The water treatment method of claim 23 further including filtering solids. 36. The water treatment method of claim 23 further including removing metals from the water. 37. The water treatment method of claim 23 further including adjusting the pH of the water. 38. The water treatment method of claim 23 further including reducing chlorinated compounds using reduced or zero valence metal(s). 39. The water treatment method of claim 38 further including reducing chlorinated compounds using the combination of reduced or zero valence metal(s) and fibrous organic carbon. 40. The water treatment method of claim 23 further including oxidizing constituent(s) of interest using a chemical oxidant. 41. The water treatment method of claim 40 further including selecting the chemical oxidant from the group comprising metal peroxides, metal oxides, permanganate, hydrogen peroxide, any other chemical oxidant, and combinations thereof. 42. The water treatment method of claim 23 further including disinfecting the water to reduce the quantity of microorganisms in the water after biological treatment steps are complete. 43. The water treatment method of claim 23 further including removing phosphorus. 44. The water treatment method of claim 23 further including selecting the biological treatment from the group comprising activated sludge processes, trickling filters, rotating biological contactors, sequencing batch reactors, fixed-film reactors, fluidized bed reactors, any other type of biological treatment processes or equipment, and combinations thereof. 45. The water treatment method of claim 23 further wherein the regions are tanks.