A bioreactor has a biofilm supporting bed with at least two types of media. An upper media is relatively porous, preferably porous enough to admit particles of a lower media. In use, wastewater flows downwards through the bed. Soluble nitrogen is reduced in the upper media and converted into nitrogen gas. Nitrogen gas bubbles rise through the upper media and escape from the bed. Selenium is reduced in the lower media and converted into elemental selenium. The elemental selenium is released periodically by backwashing the bed, which may cause fluidization or other expansion of the lower media into the upper media.

Devices are provided herein for the purification of free flowing or semi-free flowing bodies of water by removing impurities, such as nitrates. In one or more implementations, the impurity-removing device includes a cylindrically shaped housing that is open on both ends and defining an inner cavity. A cap is disposed at one opening at one end of the housing, the cap having multiple openings placed through the cap and being sized and shaped to fit the opening at the end of the housing. The impurity-removing device also includes a collection strip on an outer surface of the housing that is colored, sized and shaped to collect heat or energy from the environment, and an impurity-removing medium contained within the inner cavity.

Devices are provided herein for the purification of free flowing or semi-free flowing bodies of water by removing impurities, such as nitrates. In one or more implementations, the impurity-removing device includes a cylindrically shaped housing that is open on both ends and defining an inner cavity. A cap is disposed at one opening at one end of the housing, the cap having multiple openings placed through the cap and being sized and shaped to fit the opening at the end of the housing. The impurity-removing device also includes a collection strip on an outer surface of the housing that is colored, sized and shaped to collect heat or energy from the environment, and an impurity-removing medium contained within the inner cavity.

An iron containing bioreactor for treating explosive compounds and other organics in contaminated surface water is disclosed. The bioreactor can be located either on-ground or in-ground at a location across which contaminated surface water flows. In one configuration the reactor is made up of (i) indigenous microbes, (ii) acetate, (iii) a low density iron-containing bed, and contains anaerobic zones in at least one portion of the flowpath. The reactor reduces the concentration of explosive compounds to below 10 ppb and also maintains this explosive compound reduction level for a period of at least one year without replenishing the microbes or iron.

A processing apparatus for treating acid mine wastewater using an activated carbon-loaded microorganism includes a purifying container, a reducing body and an oxygen consumption body. By arranging a fuel gas body, a bottom of a cover disc is in threaded connection with a top of a top pipe after red phosphorus in a bottom cylinder is ignited, air in a feeding chamber enters into the bottom cylinder through gas ports, the oxygen in the air is consumed as the red phosphorus continues to burn, such that an interior of a reaction bin is in an oxygen-free environment, for ease of the microorganism performing the biological reduction reaction on the acid mine wastewater.

A mixture comprising liquid water, a gas and at least one organic compound are injected into a non-thermal gas-liquid plasma discharge reactor to generate a flowing liquid film region with a gas stream flowing alongside. A plasma discharge is propagated along the flowing liquid film region. Water is dissociated and reactive species such as hydroxyl radicals, hydrogen peroxide and nitrogen oxides are formed. The organic compound reacts with the reactive species such as hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen peroxide present in the flowing liquid film region and in the flowing gas stream to produce organic compound dissociation products. At least some organic compound dissociation products and nitrogen oxides are transferred to a bioreactor for further degradation of organic compounds. The nitrogen oxides are used as nutrients for bacteria in the bioreactor. Feedback control of the plasma reactor is based on conditions detected and determined in the biological reactor.

A processing apparatus for treating acid mine wastewater using an activated carbon-loaded microorganism includes a purifying container, a reducing body and an oxygen consumption body. By arranging a fuel gas body, a bottom of a cover disc is in threaded connection with a top of a top pipe after red phosphorus in a bottom cylinder is ignited, air in a feeding chamber enters into the bottom cylinder through gas ports, the oxygen in the air is consumed as the red phosphorus continues to burn, such that an interior of a reaction bin is in an oxygen-free environment, for ease of the microorganism performing the biological reduction reaction on the acid mine wastewater.

Compositions and methods for in situ ground water remediation. The compositions comprise a colloidal biomatrix comprised of sorbent particles, such as zeolites, organoclays and activated carbon, dispersed in aqueous solution that are injectable into the permeable zones of an aquifer to be treated. Once deposited into the permeable zones of the aquifer, the groundwater concentrations of contaminants in those zones are depleted, thus increasing the rate of diffusion of contaminants of the less permeable zones. The compositions and methods of the present invention can be used to treat any organic contaminants and provide rapid remediation of contaminated ground water by adsorption and biodegradation of such contaminants.

Described herein are systems and methods for continuous metabolism of contaminants of emerging concern. An example bioreactor can include at least one screen positioned downstream in relation to the at least one adsorbent layer, wherein: the bioreactor system is configured to retain within the housing the biofilm that becomes detached from the at least one adsorbent layer, the housing is configured to receive through the inlet a flow of an influent comprising water contaminated with the at least one target contaminant, and the bioreactor system is configured to discharge an effluent from the outlet, which comprises water with a lower concentration of the contaminant compared to the influent.

A method for reducing recalcitrant chemical oxygen demand (COD) of a liquid in a water system is provided. The method comprises pretreating the liquid in a pretreatment unit (12) to remove indigenous bacteria or microbes to a population level below which the indigenous organisms can interfere with the screened and externally introduced microorganisms. The liquid is then provided to a reactor (20) that has a filter bed (22) formed with a carrier material (26). Special microbes are screened and used to colonize the carrier material (26) to remove recalcitrant COD. A biofilm is cultured on the surface of the carrier material (26) to immobilize the screened microbes in the reactor (20). The method further comprises adding a co-substrate as the liquid enters the reactor (20) and percolating the liquid through the filter bed (22) colonized with the screened microbes to degrade at least part of the recalcitrant COD under aerobic conditions. The screened microbes comprise at least one microbial species selected from the group consisting of Bacillus, Comamonas, Arthrobacter, Micrococcus, Pseudomonas, Pediococcus, Achromobacter, Flavobacterium, Mycobacterium, Rhodanobacter, Stenotrophomonas and yeast.