The present invention relates to apparatus, methods, and applications for treating wastewater, and more particularly to biological processes for removing pollutants from wastewater. This invention further relates to apparatus and methods for growing microbes on-site at a wastewater treatment facility, and for economically inoculating sufficient microbes to solve various treatment problems rapidly.

A foam intercept system and a method of using the foam intercept system are disclosed herein. The foam intercept system is useful to control levels of foam generated on the surface of effluent seawater during aeration of the effluent seawater in a seawater aeration basin. Effluent seawater contained within the seawater aeration basin may be produced in a seawater flue gas desulfurization system associated with a power plant or an aluminum production plant.

A process for reducing the production of sludge by municipal or industrial wastewater purification plants, comprising a step of mesophilic or thermophilic anaerobic digestion (20), or anaerobic digestion combining these two operating modes, of a stream of sludge to be treated (1), and at least one biological solubilization anaerobic treatment step (30); the process comprises, upstream of the anaerobic digestion step, a step of dehydration (10) of the sludge to be treated, followed by a step of mixing (15) the dehydrated sludge with a recirculated fraction of sludge that is more liquid, originating from recycling of the digestion (20), and/or from the anaerobic treatment step (30), and/or centrates originating from a final dehydration (50) of the treated sludge, wherein the recirculation rate is chosen such that the mixture has a dryness suitable for digestion, this mixture then being directed towards the digestion.

A bioreactor for anaerobic, aerobic and anoxic digestion of organic matter from wastewater, having a bottom anaerobic zone where the wastewater is fed where anaerobic bacteria produces biogas and the sludge produced is deposited on the bottom and subsequently extracted. An anoxic middle zone contains denitrifying bacteria which converts nitrates to nitrogen, and an aerobic zone at the upper part where at least one biological contact rotor is disposed, which degrade organic matter remaining in the water. The growth of nitrifying bacteria converts ammonia nitrogen into nitrites and nitrates. The tank has a plurality of rhomboids for biogas, sludge and scum collection that join together form a intermediate polyhedral separator panel. The rhomboids joined together define conical collectors with connecting nozzles of ducts from a capture and conduction network of biogas and funnel-shaped manifolds with connecting nozzles of ducts that define a capture and conduction network of sludge and scum.

A produced water evaporation system for spray evaporating water comprising a geothermal heat retainment system and an evaporation system is disclosed. The geothermal heat retainment system comprises a first feed inlet, an optional solar collection system or a heat exchanger, and a first discharge outlet. The evaporation system comprises a second feed inlet, a pump, a drip manifold comprising a drip orifice or a manifold comprising a nozzle, a container, wherein a first portion of a ceiling of the container is constituted by a demister element such that the first portion of the ceiling is entirely configured as an outlet for evaporated water and wherein a second portion of the ceiling is adjacent to an upper edge of a wall of the container, a second discharge outlet, and an air system comprising an air blower and an optional air preheater, wherein the air system is disposed through the wall of the container and wherein the air system discharges air flow counter to the produced water and/or water droplets from the drip orifice. A method of using the produced water evaporation system is also disclosed.

A two-step process for recovering useable solids from food processing wastewater and for significantly reducing the pollutants, chemical, bacterial, and viral load. The first step is the addition of pretreatment chemicals such as metal-based coagulant, pH adjuster, oxidant or a combination thereof. The second step is pumping the chemically pretreated wastewater into a foam fractionation system where a gas is introduced into the chemically treated wastewater to create a rising foam that captures and remove solid materials from the remaining wastewater effluent. The solids are recovered for additional post-processing and the effluent is discharged for post-processing or to existing bodies of water.

The invention is in the field of organic sludge digestion from various sources, such as manure, sludge from a wastewater treatment plant, and an organic fraction of dredging sludge. The present method provides advanced control for serially treating aqueous organic sludge by anaerobic digestion. It further relates to dewatering of the obtained biomass.

A process for continuously treating a stream of water (for example, a stream of oil and gas well wastewater) to remove contaminants therefrom is provided. The process comprises: a) testing the stream of water to determine if it contains biological matter and, if necessary, removing biological matter from the stream; b) testing the pH level of the stream and, if necessary, adjusting the pH level of the stream; c) separating the stream of water into a sludge discharge stream and a separator unit effluent stream; d) separating the separator unit effluent stream into a steam discharge stream and a concentrated brine stream; and e) separating the concentrated brine stream into a chlorine gas stream and at least one of a sodium stream and a calcium stream. A corresponding system is also provided.

This invention refers to a method for preparing a chemical digester characterized by using organic and inorganic elements used for multiple purposes such as an accelerator in the decomposition of organic matter, as a water flocculant, as an organic soil fertilizer and as a means to eliminate the concentration of flies and other inserts in organic matter to decompose. The method comprises heating water in a reactor at a temperature of 38° C., adding a polysaccharide, an anti-thickener and an antifoam. The method then comprises the addition of two organic acids, one of them previously mixed in a second reactor and, finally, an inorganic acid until the mixture is homogenized. Optionally the method comprises the packaging of the mixture and the treatment of organic matter.

Disclosed herein are graphene quantum dot tagged water source treatment compounds or polymers, and methods of making and using. Also described herein are tagged compositions including an industrial water source treatment compound or polymer combined with a graphene quantum dot tagged water source treatment compound or polymer. The tagged materials are tailored to fluoresce at wavelengths with minimized correspondence to the natural or “background” fluorescence of irradiated materials in industrial water sources, enabling quantification of the concentration of the water source treatment compound or polymer in situ by irradiation and fluorescence measurement of the water source containing the tagged water source treatment compound or polymer. The fluorescence measurement methods are similarly useful to quantify mixtures of tagged and untagged water source treatment compounds or polymers present in an industrial water source.