This disclosure relates to novel blended compositions for biological contaminant removal containing a particulate oxide composition and silver zinc zeolite. The particulate oxide composition is a mixed oxide of at least cerium and trivalent dopant. These blended compositions can be used as antimicrobial/antibacterial/antiviral agents. As such, this disclosure also relates to the use of these blended compositions for biological contaminant removal. The blended compositions have uses for removing bacteria, viruses, protozoa (e.g., amoebae), fungi (e.g., mold), algae, yeast, and the like. In particular, these blended compositions can be used in methods for treating fluids, including liquids or air, and solid surfaces through contact.

The present disclosure provides methods and systems for processing or treating wastewater. The methods of systems of the present disclosure may perform a treatment process on a wastewater stream including gray water and black water to produce a product stream. The product stream may comprise a potable water stream or a stream of treated water with a reduced concentration of one or more contaminant originally included in the wastewater stream.

A portable liquid measuring and filtering device includes a measuring channel, at least one sensor, at least one actuating device and a filtering element. The measuring channel is used for allowing a target liquid to flow therethrough. The at least one sensor is disposed within the measuring channel for measuring the target liquid. The at least one actuating device is in communication with the measuring channel for transferring the target liquid. The filtering element is disposed within the measuring channel and arranged adjacent to the at least one actuating device for filtering the target liquid. If a measuring result of the sensor indicates that a monitored value of the target liquid is abnormal, the actuating device is enabled to transfer the target liquid. Consequently, the target liquid is filtered by the filtering element.

In some embodiments, a method may include treating pulp in pulp and paper mills. The methods may include providing a peracetate oxidant solution and generating a reactive oxygen species. The peracetate solution may include peracetate anions and a peracid. In some embodiments, the peracetate solution may include a pH from about pH 10 to about pH 12. In some embodiments, the peracetate solution has a molar ratio of peracetate anions to peracid ranging from about 60:1 to about 6000:1. In some embodiments, the peracetate solution has a molar ratio of peracetate to hydrogen peroxide of greater than about 16:1. The peracetate oxidant solution may provide enhanced treatment methods of bleaching, brightening, and delignifying pulp fibers involving the use of peracetate oxidant solutions.

A ballast water monitoring device and a method for detecting live phytoplankton are disclosed. The device comprises a chamber for receiving a sample, at least one light source to emit light towards the sample, a light detector to receive light from the sample and generate a light signal, and a controller. The controller is configured to control the at least one light source to emit a single pulse of light, calculate the variable fluorescence [Fv] of the sample in response to the pulse of light, at time intervals less than the duration of the pulse of light, compare the calculated variable fluorescence to a predetermined reference limit, and perform an action if the calculated variable fluorescence is greater than the predetermined reference limit.

A system is disclosed that comprises a detector module adapted to detect the presence of one or more biological analytes in a fluid. The module includes one or more pairs of microcantilever sensors, where each pair is comprised of a reference sensor and a detection sensor. The detection sensor cantilever is coated with a polymerized receptor that has an affinity with a biological analyte in the fluid. A capture manifold is also provided to receive the fluid downstream of the detector module and comprising the same polymerized receptor such that the biological analytes are removed from the fluid as it courses through the manifold.

A method of operating a waste water treatment plant (WWTP) having at least one of an aerobic digester (AD) and a membrane bioreactor (MBR) is described. The method of operating AD is comprised of monitoring and controlling AD in real-time using an online extended Kalman filter (EKF) having a online dynamic model of AD. The EKF uses real-time AD measured data, and online dynamic model of AD to update adapted model parameters and estimate model based inferred variables for AD, which are used for AD control by AD control system having supervisory and low-level control layers. The method of operating MBR is similar to that of AD. The supervisory control ensures the WWTP satisfying the effluent quality requirement while minimize the operation cost. A WWTP having at least one of an AD or MBR is disclosed. The method of operating a WWTP can be implemented using a computer.

A method for eliminating harmful algal blooms through optimized utilization of a modified clay method includes building a real-time state index and a standardized value grading system for eliminating a site harmful algal bloom or a harmful algal bloom in accordance with the features of monitored harmful algal bloom organisms and modified clay flocculates; acquiring corresponding grade codes of feature index values of the harmful algal bloom in a to-be-treated water body or harmful algal bloom elimination effect through the real-time site state index and the standardized value grading system; comparing the above grade codes with an expert system to obtain an operation solution for eliminating harmful algal blooms through optimized utilization of the modified clay method. The result is tracked and monitored in real time and the operation solution is optimized and adjusted in time according to the harmful algal bloom elimination effect.

A water treatment system has an ozonation unit (12), a biological sensor (16) and optionally a biological treatment unit (14). The biological sensor (16) measures the biodegradability of organic contaminants after ozonation. The biological sensor (16) may be a bio-electrochemical sensor that produces an electrical signal related to the metabolic activity of bacteria on an electrode of the sensor. The biological sensor (16) may be connected to a controller (18) adapted to adjust one or more operating parameters of the ozonation unit (12) or the biological treatment unit (16) or both. A method of treating water, and a method of controlling a water treatment process, using a biological sensor to measure the biodegradability of water are further described. The measurement may be used to adjust an upstream ozonation process or a downstream biological treatment process. The systems and methods may be used to remove refractory organic compounds or organic micro-pollutants from secondary or tertiary effluent from a municipal or industrial wastewater plant.

A system and process may be used to test water samples to measure ATP and/or estimate a microbial population, for example using an adenosine triphosphate (ATP) based assay. The system includes a device that is use in combination with single-use or disposable cartridges. The cartridge receives the water sample and is pre-loaded with one or more reagents. The device receives the cartridge and contains physical, electronic and/or mechatronic devices that interact with cartridge. One or more actions such as metering, mixing and conveying are performed automatically by elements of the device and/or cartridge. A sensor in the device measures light produced in the cartridge from a reaction with ATP in the water sample. Optionally, the cartridge also contains a pre-loaded amount of ATP, which is used to provide an internal reference or calibration measurement.