The invention relates to methods for enriching monomer content in a cycloalkane oxidation process mixed organic waste stream. In particular, the methods involve combining a biocatalyst with a mixed organic waste stream from a cycloalkane oxidation process, and enzymatically converting dimeric and/or oligomeric components of said waste stream into monomeric components. The methods may enrich the content of diacids, adipic acid, and/or other α,ω-difunctional C6 alkanes in the mixed organic waste stream. Additionally, the treated mixed organic waste streams may have improved burning efficiency.

Disclosed is a facility for treating waste water of municipal or industrial origin, in particular a facility for primary treatment of the water, including a biological contact tank equipped with biological rotating discs, which is connected upstream of a ballasted-floc physiochemical decanter, the decanter being at least made up of a coagulation zone, a flocculation zone, a lamellar decanting zone and a thickening zone and an external circuit allowing the recirculation of the sludge thickened in the thickening zone to the flocculation zone and the biological contact tank.

The invention relates to bio-electrochemical systems for the generation of methane from organic material and for reducing chemical oxygen demand and nitrogenous waste through denitrification. The invention further relates to an electrode for use in, and a system for, the adaptive control of bio-electrochemical systems as well as a fuel cell.

The present invention relates preferably to ways of biologically treating liquids, and devices applicable in this respect. Processes and devices according to the present invention preferably relates to a system for biological treatment of liquid such as water, the system typically comprising a container having first and second gas supplies for creating a first and second circulating flow of liquid and bio-film carriers and preferably also for aerating the liquid. Preferred embodiments of a container according to the invention comprises an outflow channel extending along, and preferably throughout, a perimeter of an upper part of the container, the flow channel having a fluid penetrable wall section facing inwardly so that fluid may flow from the interior of the container, through the fluid penetrable wall section and into the outflow channel, and an outlet for leading fluid out from the outflow channel.

Described herein are processes for increasing biogas yield and reducing volatile solids in biosolids sludge. The biosolids sludge is passed through a controlled flow, hydrodynamic cavitation apparatus and further subjected to anaerobic digestion. The biosolids sludge can be treated with hydrodynamic cavitation prior to or after the sludge is exposed to a thermal hydrolysis step to hydrolyze the sludge.

Disclosed herein are methods and systems for removing carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) from water and quantifying the carbon so removed, thus facilitating valuation of that carbon for schemes (e.g., Kyoto agreement) that attach financial rewards for capture, sequestration or removal of carbon or CO.sub.2.

The invention relates to a method for nitrogen removal from aqueous medium, comprising steps of (a) converting NH.sub.4.sup.+ in the aqueous medium to NO.sub.2.sup.− by partial aerobic nitrification, (b) partially reducing the obtained NO.sub.2.sup.− to N.sub.2O in anoxic conditions, and (c) decomposing N.sub.2O to N.sub.2 with energy recovery. A mixture of ferrous sulfate and ferric sulfate is used in step (b) for reduction of NO.sub.2.sup.− to N.sub.2O.

The present invention relates to a bio-electrochemical system (BES) and a method of in-situ production and removal of H.sub.2O.sub.2 using such a bio-electrochemical system (BES). Further, the invention relates to a method for in-situ control of H .sub.2O.sub.2 content in an aqueous system of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) involving in-situ generation of hydroxyl radical (OH) by using such a bio-electrochemical system (BES) and to a method for treatment of wastewater and water disinfection. The bio-electrochemical system (BES) according to the invention comprises:—an aqueous cathode compartment comprising a first cathode and a second cathode,—an aqueous anode compartment comprising an anode at least partly covered in biofilm, wherein the first cathode is connected to a first circuit and the second cathode is connected to a second circuit, wherein the first and the second circuit are connected to the system by an external switch.

We describe a method of determining a food-to-biomass ratio in an aqueous fluid the method comprising: providing an aqueous fluid comprising viable biomass and food for said biomass, and wherein there is insufficient available food to sustain all said viable biomass; using a sensor (for example a respirometer or a sensor for sensing an amount of ammonia, ammonium, nitrates or nitrites) to determine an amount of food in said aqueous fluid available to said biomass; determining a measure of viable biomass in said aqueous fluid by measuring polarisability of viable biomass cells in an AC electric field; and determining a food-to-biomass ratio from said amount of food and said measure of viable biomass.

A system and method of treating wastewater. In one embodiment, the system comprises a biological reactor fluidly connected to a source of wastewater and having a treated wastewater outlet, a fixed film biological reactor connected to the source of wastewater and having a fixed film effluent outlet, and a ballasted system fluidly connected to the fixed film effluent outlet. The ballasted system may comprise a ballast reactor tank configured to provide a ballasted effluent, and a source of ballast material fluidly connected to an inlet of the ballast reactor tank. The system may further comprise a bypass line having an inlet fluidly connected to the source of wastewater, a first outlet fluidly connected to the ballasted system, and a second outlet fluidly connected to the fixed film biological reactor, the bypass line configured to bypass the fixed film biological reactor.