The present invention relates to a method for treating wastewater containing a furan compound, a microbial preparation for use in the method, a method for high density culture of a microorganism for use in the above method, and a method for producing a microbial preparation by using the culture method.

A method of degrading 1,4-dioxane in the wastewater produced during the manufacture of alkyl ether sulfates is disclosed. The method includes the steps of (a) mixing from 100 to 10,000 ppm, preferably 1,000 to 4,000 ppm of ozone with the wastewater; (b) introducing H.sub.2O.sub.2 into the wastewater in an amount of 0.01 to 10, preferably 0.1 to 0.5 molar equivalents of H.sub.2O.sub.2 to ozone, and (c) mixing the ozone, H.sub.2O.sub.2, and wastewater to generate hydroxyl radicals reactive with the 1,4-dioxane, without the addition of a metal catalyst. The hydroxyl radicals react with the 1,4-dioxane and degrade it into carbon dioxide, water and/or carbonate. The method is effective to reduce a concentration of 1,4-dioxane in the wastewater from a range of about 10 ppm to about 1000 ppm of dioxane down to less than 5 ppb of 1,4-dioxane after treatment. The method is also effective for removing hydrocarbon species that may be present in the wastewater.

A water treatment apparatus, upper surfaces of two of the consecutively arranged ground electrodes are alternately inclined in opposite directions with respect to a horizontal plane, a gap is formed between a lower surface of an upper side ground electrode and an upper surface of a lower side ground electrode, a voltage is applied to a discharge electrode provided in the gap, thereby forming discharges both in air between the discharge electrode and the lower surface of the upper side ground electrode and in air between the discharge electrode and the upper surface of the lower side ground electrode, and water to be treated is caused to continuously flow downward from the ground electrode of an uppermost part to the ground electrode of a lowermost part along the respective upper surfaces such that the water to be treated is treated.

A method and apparatus break down organic materials, typically contaminants, through oxidation. The method for the treatment of a volume of material, provides: a) introducing at least two electrodes into a location, the location containing the volume of material and the volume of material containing one or more species for treatment; b) providing connections between a voltage source and the at least two electrodes; c) applying a voltage of a first polarity to the connections for a first period of time, under the control of a voltage controller; d) applying a voltage of a second, reversed, polarity to the connections for a second period of time, under the control of the voltage controller; e) repeating steps c) and d) a plurality of times; preferably with steps c), d) and e) promoting oxidation of one or more of the one or more species for treatment.

A method of treating wastewater can include introducing wastewater into a wastewater treatment apparatus through a wastewater inlet. The wastewater can be compressed and decompressed via a mechanical pressurizing element and subsequently discharged from the wastewater treatment apparatus via a treated water outlet. The pressure cycling wastewater treatment apparatus can include a confined chamber which encloses an interior volume. The confined chamber can have a wastewater inlet through which wastewater can flow into the confined chamber. In addition, an expansion fluid inlet can receive an expansion fluid into the confined chamber. A treated water outlet can allow treated water to flow out of the confined chamber. Within the interior volume of the confined chamber, a mechanical pressurizing element can be configured to move in a cyclical pattern. Motion of the mechanical pressurizing element can cyclically compress and decompress a mixture of wastewater and expansion fluid inside the confined chamber for a desired number of cycles.

Described herein are passive samplers, making of such samplers, and methods of use. In an example embodiment, a passive sampling membrane comprises, for example, a continuous mesoporous sequestration media having a sequestration phase and a support membrane configured to support the sequestration phase. The sequestration phase may include a hydrophobic region and a hydrophilic region. The continuous mesoporous sequestration media may be configured to simultaneously sequester polar and non-polar organic substances.

A water treatment apparatus includes: a treatment tank, having therein a grounded electrode and a high-voltage electrode opposing the grounded electrode, for generating electric discharge between both the electrodes, and causing to-be-treated water to pass between the electrodes and contact with the electric discharge to perform water treatment, an ozone mixing portion for supplying ozone-containing gas in the treatment tank through a gas sending portion to the to-be-treated water supplied from outside, and a gas returning portion for sending gas in the ozone mixing portion to the treatment tank, are provided, and water treatment is performed by ozone in the ozone mixing portion, and water treatment is thereafter performed by the electric discharge in the treatment tank.

The present invention relates to systems and methods whereby contaminants or pollutants are removed from a fluid using a combination of electrochemical treatment and sorption. The systems and methods described herein may be used to remove pollutants from water or other fluids. The systems and methods described herein apply an electric current to a contaminated fluid such as water. The target contaminants are consequently ionized and are forced through a reactive sorbent media by use of an electrical gradient or polarization. The sorbent chemically binds the contaminants.

A method and apparatus for copper-catalyzed electrochemical water treatment are provided. The method comprises the steps of supplying an aqueous solution and electrochemically treating the aqueous solution in an electrochemical cell comprising an anode, a cathode, and the aqueous solution as an electrolyte, by applying an electric potential to said anode and said cathode, thereby producing purified water. The apparatus comprises an electrochemical cell comprising an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte, the electrolyte contacting the anode and the cathode; an inlet allowing the electrolyte in the electrochemical cell; and an outlet allowing purified water out of the electrochemical cell. In both cases, the electrolyte/aqueous solution comprises water to be treated, chloride ions in a concentration [Cl.sup.−] at least about 10 mM, and copper(II) and/or copper(I) ions in a total copper ions concentration, [CU.sup.2+] +[Cu.sup.+], of at least about 20 μM.

A method and apparatus break down organic materials, typically contaminants, through oxidation. The method for the treatment of a volume of material, provides: a) introducing at least two electrodes into a location, the location containing the volume of material and the volume of material containing one or more species for treatment; b) providing connections between a voltage source and the at least two electrodes; c) applying a voltage of a first polarity to the connections for a first period of time, under the control of a voltage controller; d) applying a voltage of a second, reversed, polarity to the connections for a second period of time, under the control of the voltage controller; e) repeating steps c) and d) a plurality of times; preferably with steps c), d) and e) promoting oxidation of one or more of the one or more species for treatment.