The invention relates to bio-electrochemical systems for treating wastewater, and sour gas produced by anaerobic digestion of organic material. The invention further relates to novel anode/cathode pairing schemes, and electric and hydraulic architectures for use in bio-electrochemical systems.

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.

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 tank is disclosed as having a tub therein that divides the volume of the tank into an anoxic chamber inside the tub and an equalization chamber outside of the tub. The anoxic chamber anoxically treats wastewater while the equalization chamber equalizes fluctuations in wastewater influent as well as provides a holding space for wastewater if power to the tank is cut off. The tank can be part of a system for treating wastewater, such as one with an anaerobic tank having an anaerobic chamber for anaerobically treating wastewater, an aerobic/filtration tank having a filtration sub-tank therein that divides the volume of the tank into a filtration chamber inside the sub-tank and an aerobic chamber outside of the sub-tank. The aerobic chamber can aerobically treat wastewater while the filtration chamber has a membrane unit for filtering wastewater.

The invention relates to a bioreactor for treating water fluid(s), and/or for producing a desired end product by biomass and/or for producing biomass. The invention relates also to methods for manufacturing and using such a bioreactor. The bioreactor (BR) includes at least a first processing unit (Z.sub.F), a second processing unit (Z.sub.2), a last processing unit (Z.sub.L), and, optionally, additional processing unit(s) (Z.sub.3, Z.sub.4) between the second processing unit (Z.sub.2) and the last processing unit (Z.sub.L) in a plug flow configuration; at least one forward circulation system (FCS, FCS1, FCS2) for circulating biomass (BM) from the first processing unit (Z.sub.F), to the last processing unit (Z.sub.L) and/or to additional processing unit(s) (Z.sub.3, Z.sub.4); and at least one reverse circulation system (RCS, RCS1, RCS2) for circulating biomass (BM) from the last processing unit (Z.sub.L) and/or from the additional processing unit(s) (Z.sub.3, Z.sub.4) to the first processing unit (Z.sub.F).

A system may include a reactor, in which an anaerobic environment exists, that includes a slurry of at least contaminated water and a mixed bacterial culture of facultative bacteria and anaerobic bacteria. The mixed bacterial culture may be suspended within the slurry. The contaminated water may include contaminants associated with a non-metal, a metal, or a metalloid. The mixed bacterial culture may react with the contaminated water to reduce or remove the contaminants from the contaminated water to create a treated slurry. The reactor may output the treated slurry. The system may also include a filtration device to receive the treated slurry; remove, from the treated slurry, the mixed bacterial culture and the contaminants, reduced or removed from the contaminated water, to create treated water; and output the treated water. The system may also include an aeration device to add dissolved oxygen to the treated water, and output the treated water. The system may also include a reaction device where iron or aluminum salts are added to remove phosphorous, selenite, arsenate, or other contaminants which adsorb onto iron or aluminum oxyhydroxide solids. The system may also include a filtration device to remove the solids from the water, and output the treated water.

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.

An upflow continuous backwash deep bed sand filter (UCBF) having a recycle line for returning carbonaceous denitrifying bacteria attached to biomass to the influent of the UCBF. The recycle line returns the biomass to the treatment process at a location upstream of the upflow continuous backwash filter. Further, a liquid level control unit is provided that reduces fluctuations and significant drop in the liquid level upstream of the upflow continuous backwash filter, thereby avoiding or minimizing flow turbulences, air induction, and undesirable wastewater aeration resulting in the need to dose excessive carbon source to remove dissolved oxygen in the aerated wastewater.

The present invention provides an ecological method for denitrification and phosphorus removal in wastewater treatment process, which relates to the field of sewage treatment technology, The present invention provides a nitrogen and phosphorus removal system, comprising a nitrogen and phosphorus removal unit and a sulfate adsorption unit. The nitrogen and phosphorus removal unit is packed with coarse sand layer, deoxidizing layer and sulfur/iron mixture layer, while the sulfate adsorption unit is filled with modified hydrotalcite. Both of the units are filled with solid material, which effectively avoid the contamination that causes by liquid carbon source feeding. The application of the present invention can realize a completely denitrification, which achieve a maximum removal rate of 100%, a phosphorus removal efficiency of about 80%. The TP concentration is below 0.5 mg/L in the treated effluent, while the average sulfate removal rate is about 50%.

In general, the present invention is directed to systems for treating water or wastewater. In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, the system may utilize a vessel with a plurality of filter beds, at least one inlet, and at least one outlet, and the system may include: a first filtration bed comprising a first granular and/or angular media, the first media having a high surface area and configured for biological and physical treatment of the water or wastewater; a second filtration bed including a second granular and/or angular media, the second media having a lower surface area than the first media; wherein the water or wastewater enters the vessel via the at least one inlet, flows through the first filtration bed and the second filtration bed, and exits the vessel through the at least one outlet.