A method is presented for biological removal of contaminants like sulfide from ground waters and industrial waters. A portion of the bioreactor effluent water is recycled to the bioreactor and the sulfide oxidizing bacteria by biological oxidation oxidizes sulfides in the water to produce soluble sulfates. The present invention uses a packed bed bioreactor configuration that uses packing material to maximize the concentration of sulfide oxidizing bacteria.

A composition for use in remediation of soil and groundwater containing hydrocarbons and halogenated compounds. The remediation composition includes: (a) a first bioremediation material including a first blend of organisms capable of degrading the hydrocarbons; (b) a second bioremediation material including a second blend of organisms differing from the first blend of organisms that is chosen for degrading the halogenated compounds; (c) an organic compound such as a complex carbohydrate (e.g., food grade starch); and (d) a third blend of organisms capable of degrading the organic compound. The degrading of the organic compound by the third blend of organisms breaks the complex carbohydrate into smaller molecules that are utilized by the microorganisms of at least one of the first and second bioremediation materials during the degrading of the hydrocarbons and the halogenated compounds. The first bioremediation composition typically includes activated carbon capable of adsorbing the hydrocarbons and the halogenated compounds.

An aerobic treatment system includes a plurality of highly porous, high surface area, inert, synthetic, inorganic, or natural material particles, having a specific gravity of less than 1.0 that float on an enclosed aqueous environment whereby plants and/or microbes can be grown thereon and/or animals such as fish can be raised therein. The inert particles trap air bubbles and nutrients for the growth of diverse types of plants, animals, or microbial systems, which enable phyto treatment of an aqueous waterbody with the ability to limit the growth of unwanted plant and algae such as blue-green algae. The above aerobic bio treatment system contains desirably bioremediation media having one or more microorganisms that are able to withstand system shocks while minimizing energy usage associated with aeration. The system can generally be utilized in any aqueous environment such as waste water and/or polluted water in an enclosed area such as a container, tank, pond, lake, or the like.

An aerobic treatment system includes a plurality of highly porous, high surface area, inert, synthetic, inorganic, or natural material particles, having a specific gravity of less than 1.0 that float on an enclosed aqueous environment whereby plants and/or microbes can be grown thereon and/or animals such as fish can be raised therein. The inert particles trap air bubbles and nutrients for the growth of diverse types of plants, animals, or microbial systems, which enable phyto treatment of an aqueous waterbody with the ability to limit the growth of unwanted plant and algae such as blue-green algae. The above aerobic bio treatment system contains desirably bioremediation media having one or more microorganisms that are able to withstand system shocks while minimizing energy usage associated with aeration. The system can generally be utilized in any aqueous environment such as waste water and/or polluted water in an enclosed area such as a container, tank, pond, lake, or the like.

A solid waste treatment method includes the steps of: degradation and sterilization via chlorination of the solid waste, stabilization of the solid waste and regeneration of biomass to reduce or eliminate solid waste. The solid waste treatment method may be utilized in agricultural, industrial or municipal settings.

The present invention provides compositions and methods of reducing cyanuric acid levels in recreational water systems.

A device for the housing and stimulation of underwater microbial activity has a lower inlet end and an upper discharge end, the lower inlet end defining an inlet opening therein, said housing defining multiple channels therein extending to the upper discharge end of said housing, said inlet opening communicating with interconnected channels, following an indirect non linear path between said inlet end opening to a discharge opening defined in said discharge end, so as to disrupt the path of fluid as it travels from inlet opening to said discharge opening. The device has at least one leg extending from the lower inlet end to keep the device off the bottom of a waterbody floor to limit its susceptibility to clogging from the sediment bottom or growing organics. The leg has sufficient weight to sink to bottom.

A device for the housing and stimulation of underwater microbial activity has a lower inlet end and an upper discharge end, the lower inlet end defining an inlet opening therein, said housing defining multiple channels therein extending to the upper discharge end of said housing, said inlet opening communicating with interconnected channels, following an indirect non linear path between said inlet end opening to a discharge opening defined in said discharge end, so as to disrupt the path of fluid as it travels from inlet opening to said discharge opening. The device has at least one leg extending from the lower inlet end to keep the device off the bottom of a waterbody floor to limit its susceptibility to clogging from the sediment bottom or growing organics. The leg has sufficient weight to sink to bottom.

Engineered stable multi-organism (or multi-cell type) communities encapsulated in a media that slows or prohibits certain metabolic functions such as cell division, but maintains other metabolic functions.

The present invention relates to compositions for encapsulation of biomaterials in a silica-matrix. The present invention includes a composition for formation of a silica-matrix encapsulated biomaterial. The composition includes a reactive silicon compound and a biomaterial with a catalytic activity. When encapsulated in the silica-matrix, the biomaterial at least partially retains its catalytic activity. The present invention also relates to methods of making silica-matrix encapsulated biomaterials, and to methods of using silica-matrix encapsulated biomaterials, including methods of treating water or gas using the silica-matrix encapsulated biomaterials.