Liquid purification or separation – Processes – Treatment by living organism
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-21
2001-08-21
Barry, Chester T. (Department: 1724)
Liquid purification or separation
Processes
Treatment by living organism
Reexamination Certificate
active
06277279
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method of treating wastewater.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Wastewater treatment is an ongoing concern for every municipality as well as many industrial facilities. The wastewater emitted from these sources must be treated, tested and returned to the water system in compliance with EPA standards. With increasing population as well as industrial demands on the waste water system, greater attention is being directed at the costs and safety of producing clean water.
Excess ammonia levels in water present health problems for humans as well as animals. Ammonia increases the oxygen demand in the water, leading to a toxic environment for marine life and can reduce the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood in humans. It is therefore very important to remove ammonia from wastewater.
In addition, commercial food services and individual residences produce wastewater solid wastes that must be treated and disposed of in an appropriate manner. A safe way to degrade these types of organic waste quickly and efficiently would be highly desirable.
Water can become contaminated by chemicals through runoff from fields or industrial facilities, as well as accidental releases to the ground or water. Particularly troublesome toxic contaminants include PCB's, TCB's, pesticides, herbicides and the like. A safe, effective way to promote the degradation of these compound in situ would save money, time, and reduce the risk of further contamination.
The success or effectiveness of bioremediation is dependent upon key factors being simultaneously present. First, the presence of microorganisms capable of degrading organics either naturally or by addition. Second, there must be oxygen and water available to permit the microorganisms to be metabolically active. Third, biologically utilizable nitrogen and phosphorous are generally throught to be required to further encourage the microbial population to rapidly metabolize the available organics.
Microorganisms capable of degrading organic (carbon-containing) substances or compounds can be found in almost all natural bodies of water. The exact type of microorganisms present in a given water stream or region may vary greatly yet each has the ability to organic materials. The elemental nutrient requirements of microbes are approximately the same as the microbes' average elemental composition. The carbon, which makes up 48 percent of the microbes' composition, is obtained from the organic compounds, such as sewage or hydrocarbons. However, the remaining elemental materials necessary to grow must be provided from either the organic compounds to be degrades, the surrounding water, or a supplementary source. Potentially, any imbalance in the presence or supply of nutritional requirements or conditions hostile to growth of the microbes can limit or change the microbial growth and, consequently, the degradation of organic compounds in the wastewater.
Therefore, there is a need for a method and composition that promotes the growth of indigenous microbes found in organic wastewater sources. It would be desirable for the method and composition to sustain growth of certain microorganisms that are capable of efficient and thorough degradation of the organic waste to be degraded. It would also be desirable for the method and composition to assist in the microbial metabolism of organic wastes in a way that not only meets the basic biological demands of the microorganisms, but essentially accelerates the growth of the microbial population.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method for degrading organic material in wastewater, for example water containing aromatic hydrocarbons, sewage, petroleum hydrocarbons, grease, fats and oils. The method comprises adding one or more fatty acids into the wastewater. While the fatty acids may be any individual or combinations of fatty acids, the fatty acids preferably comprise one or more saturated fatty acids and one or more unsaturated fatty acids. Most preferably, the one or more fatty acids comprises a saturated fatty acid selected from stearic acid, palmitic acid, lauric acid or mixtures thereof and an unsaturated fatty acid selected from oleic acid, linoleic acid or mixtures thereof. The fatty acid compositions are preferably solidified to form pellets, powder, granules, or cakes.
One embodiment of the invention utilizes a fatty acid composition consisting essentially of one or more fatty acid, preferably a saturated fatty acid and an unsaturated fatty acid. More particularly, the fatty acid composition may be used without or in the absence of supplemental sources of nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method for promoting growth of microbes capable of degrading organic material in water. The method includes applying a composition that comprises fatty acids, preferably a combination of one or more saturated fatty acids and one or more unsaturated fatty acids. Because the unsaturated fatty acids tend to be in the liquid phase at room temperature, it is preferred to provide the combination of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids together to form a solid particulate at room temperature and remain a solid even at elevated outdoor temperatures. Optionally, an oxygen releasing compound or non-indigenous microbes may be included in the composition.
In accordance with the invention, it has been found that the addition of nutrients to organic wastes may not be necessary to promote microbial growth, especially in certain applications having already significant nutrient content. However, it has never before been recognized that fatty acids could be used to increase indigenous microbe growth and subsequent biodegradation of a wide range of organic waste products. The synergistic effect of combining a saturated and unsaturated fatty acid is particularly a surprising and unexpected result.
The method and composition of the present invention are useful in enhancing the growth of microbes present in various types of bioremediable organic wastes such as ammonia, particles, carbohydrates, sugars, fats, oils, grease, urea, starches, municipal waste water, industrial waste water, animal or domestic sewage, and certain medical wastes containing body fluids. The composition is also useful for promoting the growth of microbes that degrade aromatic hydrocarbons such as PCB's, TCE, pesticides, herbicides and any other chemical deemed to be bioremediable.
The formulation of this invention uses a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids to form a composite which is readily biodegradable and has physical properties making it efficient for promoting microbial growth. More particularly, the fatty acids form an oleophilic and biodegradable composition comprising oleic acid and a carboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of stearic acid, palmitic acid, and mixtures thereof. The formulation of the present invention may be prepared with any ratio of saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids where the resulting material is sufficiently biodegradable to release fatty acids as needed and has a sufficiently high melting temperature to allow the material to be stored without clumping together. The preferred ratio of oleic acid (or any of the unsaturated fatty acids) to the saturated fatty acids is between about 70:30 and about 30:70 by weight, most preferably between 60:40 and 40:60 by weight.
While a combination of fatty acids may simply be mixed together to form a solid, a liquid or a slurry, the composition can be made in accordance with the methods set out in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,725,885 and 5,443,845, which are hereby incorporated by reference, to form a solid particle or powder. To prepare the composition, the fatty acids are mixed together, heated to melting at 100° C., then cooled to produce a homogenous solid composite mixture.
The composite material is preferably manufactured either as a powder, pellet or particulate of varying size. The pellet or cake form is particularly usef
Barry Chester T.
Bionutratech, Inc.
Streets Jeffrey L.
Streets & Steele
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