A water treatment system that removes calcium and magnesium using coagulants and pH controls, aqueous phase organic materials from water using a biological removal system that includes microorganisms and a physical separation system that includes sparging equipment for sparging the water to remove non-aqueous phase liquid organic materials, volatile phase organic materials. An apparatus, system and method for pretreating oilfield produced water to completely remove or significantly reduce concentrations of substances that are known to interfere with downstream recovery of metals including lithium. This technology facilitates a more efficient and cost-effective extraction method from alternate sources to meet the increasing global demand.

Disclosed is a method for preparing the same. The method for preparing a carrier including ammonium oxidizing bacteria immobilized therein includes: preparing a PVA-alginate mixed solution containing PVA mixed with alginate; adding sludge containing ammonium oxidizing bacteria and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO.sub.3) to the PVA-alginate mixed solution to obtain a foaming-beading solution; and dropping the foaming-beading solution to a saturated boric acid solution to obtain beads including sludge immobilized therein, wherein sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO.sub.3) is decomposed to produce carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) which is discharged to the exterior of the beads to form pores in the beads, when the foaming-beading solution is dropped to the saturated boric acid solution to obtain beads including sludge immobilized therein.

A biological reactor system treats concentrated contaminated water with a combination of upflow and downflow bioreactors that are downstream from a reverse osmosis or other concentrator. The system may have a fail safe configuration where flush water may be introduced to the reactors in the event of a power failure or when taking the reactors offline. Many reverse osmosis systems introduce antiscalant treatments upstream so that the reverse osmosis filters do not scale. However, such treatments result in superconcentrated conditions of the antiscalants in the contaminated water processed by the bioreactors. A flushing system may deconcentrate the bioreactors to prevent the antiscalants from precipitating and fouling the bioreactors.

An aerobic treatment system includes a plurality of highly porous, high surface area, inert, synthetic, inorganic, or natural material particles, having a specific gravity of less than 1.0 that float on an enclosed aqueous environment whereby plants and/or microbes can be grown thereon and/or animals such as fish can be raised therein. The inert particles trap air bubbles and nutrients for the growth of diverse types of plants, animals, or microbial systems, which enable phyto treatment of an aqueous waterbody with the ability to limit the growth of unwanted plant and algae such as blue-green algae. The above aerobic bio treatment system contains desirably bioremediation media having one or more microorganisms that are able to withstand system shocks while minimizing energy usage associated with aeration. The system can generally be utilized in any aqueous environment such as waste water and/or polluted water in an enclosed area such as a container, tank, pond, lake, or the like.

A water purification apparatus includes a flow-rate regulating tank, an aeration tank, a solar power generation unit, and an air blowing unit. The flow-rate regulating tank changes flow-rate of polluted fluid to constantly discharge. The aeration tank purifies the fluid using microorganisms by contacting the polluted fluid supplied from the flow-rate regulating tank to an air, and includes a floatable panel supporting part and a purifying part connected under the panel supporting part to purify the polluted fluid. The solar power generation unit is supported by the panel supporting part to generate electric power using sunlight. The air blowing unit receives the electric power from the solar power generation unit to supply the air in the aeration tank.

A treatment system of the present invention generally includes a plurality of high surface area sheets anchored to a fixed base. The sheets are generally vertically oriented although able to flex and sway independently. Substantially all regions of substantially all sheets are aerated. The sheets are constructed of an open weave substrate that allows the diffusion of gas, nutrients and food, while protecting and serving as an attachment site for a variety of microbial colonies in both anoxic and aerobic zones. In use a system of the present invention is inserted into a wastewater reservoir, and aerated, for treatment of the wastewater.

The present invention relates to a treatment system having a barium carbonate (BaCO.sub.3) dispersed alkaline substrate (BDAS) for use in the remediation or at least partial remediation of mine drainage (MD) and/or environmental media contaminated with a source of MD. The invention utilizes chemical, biological and combined treatment systems remove high concentrations of sulfates, hardness, heavy metals and N-compounds, that may exist in the MD as well as high concentrations of alkalinity produced during the remediation process. The invention further extends to a process for treating MD and/or environmental media contaminated with MD and to an apparatus for use in this process.

[Problem] A carrier for retaining anammox bacteria, an anammox bacteria-adhered particle, and a wastewater treatment apparatus are provided that can remarkably reduce the start-up period for obtaining a nitrogen removal speed of 1 kg-N/m.sup.3/day. [Solution] A carrier for retaining anammox bacteria includes carbon particles. The carbon particles are desirably graphite particles, particularly isotropic graphite particles. The carbon particles desirably have a zeta potential of −35 mV to 0 mV and an average particle size of 2 μm to 1000 μm.

A modular liquid waste treatment system is disclosed. In accordance with some embodiments, the system includes a central distribution unit and one or more treatment fins in flow communication therewith. The distribution unit may be configured to receive liquid waste from a given source and distribute that waste, at least in part, to one or more treatment fins. In turn, bacteria present in a given treatment fin treat the liquid waste, and the resultant treated liquid may drain from the fin to the surrounding environment. In some embodiments, a given treatment fin may include porous media providing a large surface area on which bacteria may grow to facilitate treatment. The system may be installed in and/or above the ground, and in some cases may be surrounded, at least in part, with treatment sand and/or other treatment media. The system may be used in aerobic and/or anaerobic processing of liquid waste.

A process for forming a biofilm carrier suitable for use in a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) is presented. A blowing agent is mixed with a plastic material to form a blended material. The blended material is then heated to a temperature where the blowing agent liberates gas by decomposition. The heated blended material is extruded through a die to provide the extrudate with a profile of the biofilm carrier. Advantageously, biofilm carriers produced in this manner have increased effectiveness when compared to conventional biofilm carriers.