Method for treating production wastewater from the preparation of propylene oxide by co-oxidation. The wastewater includes a first portion of wastewater having a peroxide content of 2000 mg/L or more and a second portion of wastewater having a peroxide content of 50 mg/L or less.

In an apparatus for treating wastewater, e.g sewage water, the water passes through a standard treatment process stream to promote production of dissolved reactive phosphate ions (PO4). Iron (or aluminum) ions are generated by electrochemical means and added to the process stream at one or more locations to produce metal-P coagulant solids removed in part by pump-out, with the substantial remaining P removed by mineralization and filtration in a biological filter such as a sand filter or leach field. In another apparatus, the water passes through a standard aerobic treatment process stream to promote production of dissolved reactive phosphate ions. Iron (or aluminum) ions are generated by electrochemical means and added to the process stream at one or more locations to produce a flocculant of Fe—P minerals that are separated out by sedimentation, physical filtration or magnetic means.

A method for enhancing in situ bioremediation of a volume containing groundwater and a quantity of contaminant, the method comprising the steps of: quantifying the mass of the contaminant; and amending the volume by adding thereto a compound that provides a source of NO.sub.3.sup.−. The method is characterized in that the compound is added such that the mass of the NO.sub.3.sup.− source is provided at the ratio of about 1 mg NO.sub.3.sup.− per 0.21 mg contaminant. The contaminant can be BTEX or petroleum-related VOC.

A method for treating effluents containing nitrogen in the form of ammonium, implementing chemical reactions for oxidizing and reducing the nitrogen in a sequencing batch reactor, the method including: introducing a volume of effluents to be treated into the reactor, injecting oxygen or air into the reactor for partial oxidation of the ammonium into nitrites and/or nitrates, interrupting the injection of oxygen or air, thus producing gaseous nitrogen, depositing the sludge at the bottom of the reactor and clarifying the content of the reactor close to the surface of same, discharging a clarified fraction of the content of the reactor. The draining and feeding steps occur simultaneously. During the feeding step, the volume of effluents is introduced close to the bottom of the reactor. During the draining step, the clarified fraction of the content of the reactor is discharged close to the surface of the content of the reactor.

A method for optimizing filtration in an aquaculture system. The method for optimizing filtration includes, taking at least one sample of matter from an aquaculture system, defining at least one predetermined characteristic to test the sample of matter for, testing the at least one sample of matter, determining if the at least one predetermined characteristic is present within the sample, modifying resource distribution within the aquaculture system, taking at least two samples of matter within the aquaculture system, re-defining at least one predetermined characteristic to test the at least two samples of matter for, testing the at least two samples of matter, determining if the re-defined at least one predetermined characteristic is present within the at least two samples of matter and ensuring the filtration system will retain a state of optimization.

A biofilm process is disclosed for treating wastewater containing readily biodegradable dissolved organic matter GP (measured as chemical oxygen demand or COD) and producing surplus biomass from the biofilm process that includes an enhanced polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) content. The process comprises directing a wastewater influent containing the readily biodegradable COD (RBCOD) into a biofilm unit process. The PHA content of surplus biomass is enhanced by controlling for a decreased biofilm process specific organic loading rate in combination with controlling phosphorus loading rates relative to the process RBCOD loading rates: (1) controlling the wastewater influent phosphorus loading rate to the biofilm unit process includes maintaining an average RBCOD/P ratio of the influent that is between 200 and 800 g/g; (2) decreasing the process specific organic loading rate includes producing a biofilm unit process effluent having readily separable mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (RS-MLVSS); and (3) separating a portion of the RS-MLVSS from the biofilm unit process effluent and recycling at least a portion of the separated RS-MLVSS back to the biofilm unit process. The combination of the RBCOD/P control and specific loading rate control maintains, on average, the surplus biomass with a PHA content that is greater than 30% gPHA/g VSS.

A biofilm process is disclosed for treating wastewater containing readily biodegradable dissolved organic matter GP (measured as chemical oxygen demand or COD) and producing surplus biomass from the biofilm process that includes an enhanced polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) content. The process comprises directing a wastewater influent containing the readily biodegradable COD (RBCOD) into a biofilm unit process. The PHA content of surplus biomass is enhanced by controlling for a decreased biofilm process specific organic loading rate in combination with controlling phosphorus loading rates relative to the process RBCOD loading rates: (1) controlling the wastewater influent phosphorus loading rate to the biofilm unit process includes maintaining an average RBCOD/P ratio of the influent that is between 200 and 800 g/g; (2) decreasing the process specific organic loading rate includes producing a biofilm unit process effluent having readily separable mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (RS-MLVSS); and (3) separating a portion of the RS-MLVSS from the biofilm unit process effluent and recycling at least a portion of the separated RS-MLVSS back to the biofilm unit process. The combination of the RBCOD/P control and specific loading rate control maintains, on average, the surplus biomass with a PHA content that is greater than 30% gPHA/g VSS.

A method is disclosed for nitrogen recovery from an ammonium including fluid and a bio-electrochemical system for the same. In an embodiment, the method includes providing an anode compartment including an anode; providing a cathode compartment including a cathode, wherein the compartments are separated by at least one ion exchange membrane; providing the ammonium comprising fluid in the anode compartment and a second fluid in the cathode compartment; applying a voltage between the anode and the cathode; and extracting nitrogen from the cathode compartment.

A hierarchical catalyst composition comprising a continuous or particulate macroporous scaffold in which is incorporated mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles, wherein an enzyme is embedded in mesopores of the mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles. Methods for synthesizing the hierarchical catalyst composition are also described. Also described are processes that use the recoverable hierarchical catalyst composition for depolymerizing lignin, remediation of water contaminated with aromatic substances, polymerizing monomers by a free-radical mechanism, epoxidation of alkenes, halogenation of phenols, inhibiting growth and function of microorganisms in a solution, and carbon dioxide conversion to methanol. Further described are methods for increasing the space time yield and/or total turnover number of a liquid-phase chemical reaction that includes magnetic particles to facilitate the chemical reaction, the method comprising subjecting the chemical reaction to a plurality of magnetic fields of selected magnetic strength, relative position in the chemical reaction, and relative motion.

A hierarchical catalyst composition comprising a continuous or particulate macroporous scaffold in which is incorporated mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles, wherein an enzyme is embedded in mesopores of the mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles. Methods for synthesizing the hierarchical catalyst composition are also described. Also described are processes that use the recoverable hierarchical catalyst composition for depolymerizing lignin, remediation of water contaminated with aromatic substances, polymerizing monomers by a free-radical mechanism, epoxidation of alkenes, halogenation of phenols, inhibiting growth and function of microorganisms in a solution, and carbon dioxide conversion to methanol. Further described are methods for increasing the space time yield and/or total turnover number of a liquid-phase chemical reaction that includes magnetic particles to facilitate the chemical reaction, the method comprising subjecting the chemical reaction to a plurality of magnetic fields of selected magnetic strength, relative position in the chemical reaction, and relative motion.