Process and apparatus for waste water treatment

Abstract

Systems for treating water containing unwanted contaminants. More particularly, the present invention relates to waste water treatment systems including biological media used to aerobically or anaerobically treat solid and liquid waste in water for large and small-scale waste water systems in a way that minimizes the size of the system required to output high-quality, environmentally suitable water that is depleted of ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and other contaminants.

1 . A composition providing an aqueous liquid electron donor or carbon source capable of biologically transforming contaminants in contaminated water, which comprises a mixture of 
 a) Water;    b) at least one carbohydrate in an amount effective for transforming said contaminant; and    c) at least one alcohol.    
     
     
         2 . The composition claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising an amino acid or phosphate as a nutrient.  
     
     
         3 . The composition claimed in claims  1  or  2  further comprising a bacteriastat.  
     
     
         4 . The composition claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the amount of said carbohydrate is an amount effective for transforming a contaminant selected from the group consisting of nitrates, nitrites, perchlorates, ammonium perchlorate, chlorinated hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, and pesticides.  
     
     
         5 . The composition claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises at least one carbohydrate selected from the group consisting of monosaccharides, sugars, glucose, galactose, maltose, fructose, disaccharides, trisaccharides, tetrasaccharides, higher saccharides, cellulose derivatives hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         6 . The composition claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises at least one alcohol selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol, and glycerol.  
     
     
         7 . The composition claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said bacteriastat is selected from the group consisting of methanol, sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, nitro substituted compounds, isothiazolones, quaternary ammonium compounds, parabans, parabans, sodium benzoate, formalin, sodium hydroxymethyl glycinate, imidazolidnyl urea, diazolidnyl urea, 3-iodo-2-propynyl butyl carbamate, iodopropynyl, and butylcarbamate.  
     
     
         8 . The composition claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said bacteriastat is present in the 0.01% to 5% range.  
     
     
         9 . The compositions claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said composition is nonflammable.  
     
     
         10 . The composition claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the carbohydrates and alcohols are produced by the action of enzymes, biological and chemical catalysts, and bacteria that will convert a useful precursor to an electron donor or carbon source.  
     
     
         11 . The composition claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said effective amount of said carbohydrate is from about 10% to about 80% by weight.  
     
     
         12 . The composition claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises at least one alcohol present in an amount from about 3% to about 40% by weight.  
     
     
         13 . An aqueous carbon source for bacteria used in waste water contamination treatment, the aqueous carbon source comprising 0.01-5% by weight of a bacteriastat and 30-50% by weight of a carbohydrate.  
     
     
         14 . An aqueous carbon source for bacteria used in waste water contamination treatment, the aqueous carbon source comprising 3-5% by weight of an alcohol and 30-50% by weight of a carbohydrate.  
     
     
         15 . The aqueous carbon source of  claim 13  or  claim 14 , wherein the aqueous carbon source further comprises nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         16 . The aqueous carbon source of  claim 14 , wherein the aqueous carbon source comprises an alcohol selected from methanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol, glycerol, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         17 . The aqueous carbon source of  claim 14 , wherein the aqueous carbon source further comprises about 0.01-5% by weight of a bacteriastat.  
     
     
         18 . The aqueous carbon source of  claim 13  or  claim 17 , wherein the bacteriastat is selected from the group consisting of methanol, sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, nitro substituted compounds, isothiazolones, quaternary ammonium compounds, parabands, sodium benzoate, formalin, sodium hydroxymethyl glycinate, imidazolidnyl urea, diazolidnyl urea, 3-iodo-2-propynyl butyl carbamate, iodopropynyl, and butycarbamate.  
     
     
         19 . The aqueous carbon source of  claim 13  or  claim 14 , wherein the aqueous carbon source is non-flammable.  
     
     
         20 . The aqueous carbon source of  claim 13  or  claim 14 , wherein the carbohydrate comprises a mixture of about 8% monosaccharides, about 7% disaccharides, about 7% trisaccharides, and about 78% tetrasaccharides and higher saccharides.  
     
     
         21 . An aqueous carbon source for bacteria used in waste water contamination treatment, the aqueous carbon source comprising about 5% by weight of methanol and about and 30-50% by weight of a carbohydrate mixture comprising about 8% monosaccharides, about 7% disaccharides, about 7% trisaccharides, and about 78% tetrasaccharides and higher saccharides.  
     
     
         22 . An aqueous carbon source for bacteria used in waste water contamination treatment, the aqueous carbon source prepared by the process of forming a solution of two parts by weight water and one part by weight carbohydrate and subsequently diluting with methanol until the solution has about 5% methanol by weight.