A method of removing organic carbon in biological wastewater treatment includes the steps of: (a) oxidizing organic carbon to carbon dioxide with elemental sulfur as an electron carrier, and reducing the elemental sulfur to sulfide; (b) oxidizing the sulfide to elemental sulfur by recycled nitrate through controlling one or more of a recycling ratio to maintain an oxidation reduction potential (ORP) within the range of −360 my to −420 mv, using an auto ORP controller; (c) recycling the elemental sulfur formed during oxidation of the sulfide back to the oxidation of the organic carbon; and (d) oxidizing ammonium to nitrate then partially recycled back for sulfide oxidation.

Animal and poultry solid waste material are treated with a preferred lactobacillus organism, preferably plant derived, in a liquid medium, preferably non-chlorinated water for time sufficient to reduce odor a significant amount.

Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and devices for generating electricity from an effluent source. In the presence of electrogenic bacteria and substrate electrodes, an electroactive biofilm is produced which possesses bioconductive capacity for efficiently producing an electric current while treating an effluent source such as, e.g., wastewater. This disclosure relates generally to the production of electricity from a biological source. In particular, this disclosure relates to microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and other bioelectrochemical systems (BES) that exploit an exogenous fuel source.

A method of treating or remediating contaminated material, such as water or soil, comprises contacting such material with asphaltenes. The asphaltenes are preferably produced as a by-product of petroleum refining and, in particular, a by-product of vacuum residua. An adsorbent material comprising such asphaltenes is also provided.

A method is presented for biological removal of contaminants like sulfide from ground waters and industrial waters. A portion of the bioreactor effluent water is recycled to the bioreactor and the sulfide oxidizing bacteria by biological oxidation oxidizes sulfides in the water to produce soluble sulfates. The present invention uses a packed bed bioreactor configuration that uses packing material to maximize the concentration of sulfide oxidizing bacteria.

Engineered stable multi-organism (or multi-cell type) communities encapsulated in a media that slows or prohibits certain metabolic functions such as cell division, but maintains other metabolic functions.

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.

The present disclosure provides an in-situ method for removing sulfates. The method comprises delivering at least one low molecular weight organic compound (LMWOC) to soil or groundwater to attain a concentration of the LMWOC of 750-3000 mg/L, such as 1000-2000 mg/L, or about 1500 mg/L, especially whereby sulfate is reduced to below 250 mg/L in the soil or groundwater. The method may further comprise contacting the soil or groundwater with an oxidizer, such as hydrogen peroxide, whereby the concentration of metals or metalloids is reduced in the soil or groundwater.

A water cleaning system 1 includes an aerobic region 90 including breeding water 9 containing organic matter and oxygen, an aerobic layer 6 linking with the aerobic region 90 and inhabited by aerobic bacteria, a facultative anaerobic layer 5 provided adjacent to the aerobic layer 6 and inhabited by facultative anaerobic bacteria, an obligatory anaerobic layer 4 provided adjacent to the facultative anaerobic layer 5, inhabited by obligatory anaerobic bacteria, and made of andosol 40, an anaerobic space 3 having an anaerobic environment, allowing the obligatory anaerobic bacteria inhabiting the obligatory anaerobic layer 4 and products therefrom to flow therein, and a tube 18 as linking means linking the anaerobic space 3 and the aerobic region 90.

Provided is a biological purifier, by which metal ions in untreated waste water containing the metal ions and sulfate ions can be removed in a low temperature environment with a water temperature of 15° C. or less for a long period of time. The biological purifier for untreated waste water containing metal ions and sulfate ions used for removing the metal ions from the untreated waste water by precipitating sulfides of the metal ions, the biological purifier includes chaff retaining sulfate-reducing bacteria; and an organic-containing material containing 5 mass % or more of crude protein.