Patent Application
20220127174
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This invention relates to water and wastewater treatment and more particularly but not limited to a reduction of residual contaminants found in the permeate produced by Membrane Bio-Reactor (MBR) treatment systems
A variety of methods can be employed to remove contaminants from wastewater with equipment selections targeted to meet the discharge objectives established by governing bodies.
MBR treatment systems produce a high quality effluent suitable for discharge to receiver streams where the loadings of contaminants are of paramount concern. In addition to providing a high-quality effluent, MBR treatment is compact as they function well with a high concentration of activated sludge reducing the reactor size and eliminating the need for secondary clarifiers and sand filters, this makes MBR treatment advantageous where there are space constraints and a small footprint is required. MBR configurations consist of internal/submerged when immersed in a biological reactor and external/side stream when located outside of a biological reactor.
Electro-chemical cells in wastewater treatment can be used for the removals of numerous contaminants, including but not limited to, total suspended solids (TSS), heavy metals, emulsified oils (FOG), bacteria, viruses, biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, phosphorus, polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pharmaceuticals, and other contaminants of interest such as micro toxins from algae. Electro-chemical cell configurations consist of a watertight housing, internal conductive metal plates commonly known as anodes and cathodes, and a DC power supply to induce an adjustable current.
Tertiary membrane filtration is used in applications that require lower concentrations of effluent TSS or associated contaminants than other tertiary filtration methods such as sand or cloth filters.
When combining the treatment capabilities of a MBR, electro-chemical cell and tertiary membrane filter, water quality can be significantly improved, producing a permeate/effluent containing ultra low levels of contaminants at a far more economical rate. The use of a MBR for pre-treatment allows the electro-chemical cell to focus on a specific range of contaminants which results in treatment efficiencies.
As human and industrial activities increase around the world, the consumption of water results in the creation of wastewater with increasing contaminant levels. In the case of new developments, users must obtain the necessary permits and approvals to discharge contaminants to the surrounding environment. Treated effluent is generally discharged through a subsurface tile bed which impacts aquifers used for drinking water, or to a body of surface water which impacts drinking water, aquatic life and vegetation growth. Environmental authorities are responsible to ensure that aquifers and surface water ways do not become overloaded with contaminants. Developments are often restricted to ensure that contaminants do not pollute these water sources rendering them unsuitable for consumption or unsafe to aquatic life. This invention provides an economical solution to further reduce contaminant loadings into the environment by minimizing the impacts of growth in human and industrial activities.
A reduction of residual contaminants found in permeate produced by a Membrane Bio-Reactor (MBR) can be achieved by further treatment of the MBR permeate in an electro-chemical cell where coagulation and/or oxidization may occur depending on the targeted contaminants. Optionally, concentrated oxygen (50% and higher) or ozone is added to the MBR permeate to enhance residual contaminant removal by the electro-chemical cell. Effluent from the electro-chemical cell is then passed through a secondary membrane functioning as a tertiary filter to capture and remove any remaining residual contaminants.
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