|
Cleaning contaminated water – with Vinegar
 Leeds,
United Kingdom -- Engineers and environmental scientists at
the University of Leeds are developing methods of helping
contaminated water to clean itself by adding simple organic
chemicals such as vinegar.
The harmful chromium compounds
found in the groundwater at sites receiving waste from
former textiles factories, smelters, and tanneries have been
linked to cancer, and excessive exposure can lead to
problems with the kidneys, liver, lungs and skin.
The research team, led by Dr Doug
Stewart from the School of Civil Engineering and Dr Ian
Burke from the School of Earth and Environment, has
discovered that adding dilute acetic acid (vinegar) to the
affected site stimulates the growth of naturally-occurring
bacteria by providing an attractive food source. In turn,
these bacteria then cleanse the affected area by altering
the chemical make-up of the chromium compounds to make them
harmless.
“The original industrial
processes changed these chemicals to become soluble, which
means they can easily leach into the groundwater and make it
unsafe, says Dr Burke. “Our treatment method reconverts the
oxidized chromate to a non-soluble state, which means it can
be left safely in the ground without risk to the
environment. As it is no longer ‘bio-available’ it doesn’t
present any risk to the surrounding ecosystem.”
Chromate chemicals have
previously been successfully treated in situ in neutral pH
conditions, but this study is unique in that it concentrates
on extremely alkaline conditions, which are potentially much
more difficult to treat.
The current favored method of
dealing with such groundwater contaminants is to remove the
soil to landfill, which can be costly, both financially and
in terms of energy usage. The Leeds methods being developed
will allow treatment to take place on site, which is safer,
more energy efficient and much cheaper.
Dr Stewart says: “Highly alkaline
chromium-related contaminants were placed in inadequate
landfill sites in the UK right up until production stopped
in the 1970s – and in some countries production of large
quantities of these chemicals still continues today. The
soluble and toxic by-products from this waste can spread
into groundwater, and ultimately into local rivers, and
therefore will remain a risk to the environment as long as
they are untreated.”
Current environmental regulations
mean that before the team can test out its research findings
in the field, they need water-tight proof that their methods
can work, as it is illegal to introduce any substance into
groundwater - even where it is contaminated - unless it has
been shown to be beneficial.
“From the results we have so far
I am certain that we can develop a viable treatment for
former industrial sites where chromate compounds are a
problem,” says Dr Stewart.
“Our next step is to further our
understanding of the range of alkalinity over which our
system can operate. As society becomes more environmentally
aware, new regulations demand that past mistakes are
rectified and carbon footprints are reduced. By designing a
clean-up method that promotes the growth of naturally
occurring bacteria without introducing or engineering new
bacteria, we are effectively hitting every environmental
target possible.”
The research, part funded by The
Royal Society, is published online in the Journal of
Ecological Engineering.
Source:
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/
|
|
|
i
i |
|
This
newsletter is sponsored by:
|
|
|
|
|
i
i |
|
Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2009
Awarded
 Singapore
-- Professor Gatze Lettinga from The Netherlands has been
awarded this year’s Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize for his
environmentally-sustainable solution for the treatment of
used water using anaerobic technology.
His revolutionary treatment
concept, which stood out among 39 international nominations,
enables industrial used water to be purified
cost-effectively and produces renewable energy, fertilizers
and soil conditioners.
Professor Lettinga has chosen not
to patent this invention so that his water treatment
technology can be universally available. As a result, his
technology has been widely adopted in industrial as well as
municipal use. Today, the technology is in use in almost
3,000 reactors, representing about 80 percent of all
anaerobic used water treatment systems in the world.
The Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize is
an international award recognizing an individual or
organization for outstanding contributions in the field of
water. Such works have to solve the world’s water problems
through the application of revolutionary technologies or the
implementation of innovative policies and programs that
benefit mankind.
Energy-efficient, cost-effective
process
Professor Lettinga pioneered the
widespread use of anaerobic technology, which uses
micro-organisms in an oxygen-free environment to purify used
water. Although anaerobic technology has been around for
over a hundred years, his invention proved that it could be
operated as an energy-efficient, cost-effective and
self-sustaining process. His anaerobic reactor is able to
pre-treat polluted used water from industries such as
breweries, beverage, paper and pulp manufacturing, sugar,
starch and alcohol distilleries.
The used waters produced by these
industries contain a large amount of organic contaminants.
Some of these contaminants cannot be efficiently removed by
conventional aerobic processes, while others are toxic.
With energy-efficiency concerns
becoming more pressing, this technology is being
increasingly applied, not just to industrial used water, but
also to municipal used water in countries like Brazil and
India. The anaerobic system is a simpler system compared to
aerobic systems as it does away with the use of oxygen,
generating energy savings of 30 to 40 percent.
Before Professor Lettinga’s
breakthrough, highly-contaminated industrial used water was
treated mainly by aerobic biological processes, which were
expensive and energy intensive due to the use of oxygen. In
countries which could not afford the aerobic process, the
untreated, highly-contaminated water would have polluted the
environment, affected aquatic life, and even endangered
public health.
Self-sustaining system
At the same time, the process
also produces methane which is the principal component in
natural gas and can be used as a fuel to generate
electricity. Treatment plants using Prof Lettinga’s
technology are able to offset part of their plants’
operating costs by generating this renewable power. Other
by-products are fertilizers and soil conditioners.
Says Professor Lettinga, “I
believe that innovative technologies for treating used
water, waste, and gas, especially those that focus on
closing the loop and recovering resources, will contribute
to more sustainable living which the world urgently needs.”
“Professor Lettinga’s invention
has played an important role in addressing the world’s
growing concern over finding environmentally-sustainable
solutions. In choosing not to patent his Upflow Anaerobic
Sludge Blanket reactor, many developing countries now have
access to a low-cost, sustainable used water treatment
system. Besides contributing to water management with his
technological breakthrough, he has also imparted his
knowledge to young water engineers and professionals all
over the world so that they can apply the knowledge in their
countries. His altruism is indeed highly commendable,” says
Mr. Tan Gee Paw, Chairman of the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize
Nominating Committee.
Professor Lettinga says, “I feel
deeply honored and grateful to receive this award because it
originates from the small yet astoundingly successful city
state, Singapore. More importantly, the Water Prize bears
the name Lee Kuan Yew, the impressive and inspiring first
Prime Minister of Singapore.”
Source:
http://www.siww.com.sg/
|
|
|
i
i |
|
Aqua-Aerobic MBR tested at
Colorado School of Mines
 Rockford,
IL -- Aqua-Aerobic Systems, Inc. has partnered with the
Colorado School of Mines' Advanced Water Technology Center
(AQWATEC) and Mines' Small Flow Program to conduct field
testing on the Aqua-Aerobic® MBR decentralized wastewater
treatment system. The system consists of a full-scale
Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR), coupled with Koch PURON™
membranes.
The
main objective of the research project is to assess the
performance of the decentralized system by treating one of
the campus' housing community domestic wastewater sources
(about 400 apartments). The focus of the testing is on the
optimization of the treatment process for biological
nutrient removal (BNR), membrane operation, and process
adjustment for constant and seasonal flow patterns.
On
February 17, 2009 Colorado School of Mines hosted a
dedication event to celebrate the start-up of the research
project. AQWATEC began testing the onsite Aqua-Aerobic MBR
system, which utilizes two alternating adjacent batch
reactor trains with a flow capacity of 6-12 gallons per
minute (gpm).
Additionally, the school operates a bench-scale conventional
MBR (10-15 gallons per hour), which complements the
full-scale MBR system. It utilizes a smaller PURON™
hollow-fiber, submerged membrane module, and can be operated
as needed to compare performance between various treatment
schemes.
Preliminary studies revealed that the Aqua-Aerobic MBR
system is highly efficient for onsite non-potable reuse, or
direct discharge to a stream in decentralized wastewater
treatment applications. The system is suitable for flows of
5,000 to 50,000 gallons per day (gpd). Its advantages
include enhanced BNR, low energy consumption, reuse quality
effluent, and a small footprint.
The
Colorado School of Mines is well known for its excellent
engineering education and applied sciences, specializing in
stewardship of the Earth's resources: earth, energy and
environment.
Aqua-Aerobic Systems, Inc. is a leader in the design and
manufacture of wastewater treatment equipment and systems,
and is dedicated to ongoing applied research, product
development and research partnerships.
Source:
http://www.aqua-aerobic.com/
|
|
i
i |
|
WSP Environmental Launches
Water Footprint Tool
 London,
United Kingdom -- Green consultancy WSP Environmental is
poised to launch a new service designed to help firms
measure the end-to-end water footprint of their
operations and products
The service, which is modeled on the company's existing
carbon footprinting service, is on track to be launched
by the end of next month and will aim to provide firms
with an overview of how much water are they are
responsible through their own operations, their supply
chain and the downstream use of their products.
David Symons, director at the company, said that in
addition to showing firms which elements of a product's
lifecycle account for the most energy use the new
service would also help firms prioritize water-saving
initiatives.
"Unlike carbon the impact of water use depends on where
you are using it," he explained. "So the new toolkit
doesn't just look at how much water you are using, it
also looks at whether you are using it in water stressed
areas and helps firms decide where they should target
their efforts."
The new service follows the launch last year of an
online environmental footprinting tool for product
designers designed to help them assess whether their
products are compliant with the EU's impending
Energy-using Products (EuP) directive.
Under the directive, the first phase of which is due to
come into effect from the start of next year, electrical
products such as TVs and DVD players will be able to
draw no more than one watt when in stand-by mode.
Symons said that WSP's new EcoflyOnline site allowed
designers to quickly gain an overview of their products
environmental footprint and guidance on whether or not
it will comply with the EuP requirements.
"It is essentially a database that designers put the
bill of materials for their product, the operating
assumptions, stand-by power use and life expectancy
into," he explained. "It then calculates the end-to-end
carbon, water and waste footprint and whether or not it
is compliant."
He
added that the company was now working on an expanded
version of the service that similarly allows designers
of non-electrical products to gain an insight into their
product's potential environmental footprint and where
they could achieve carbon savings.
For more information visit:
http://www.ecoflyonline.com/
|
|
|
i
i |
|
|
|
i
i |
|
|
|
i
i |
|
Featured Videos
Share
your videos with everyone - promote your plant, your
product and your company, free.
|
|
|
i
i |
| Help Forum :
Hot Messages from the Help Forum
People post their requests
for help and offer their suggestions to others in our open
forum.
Mr. Ramadass needs help with
his RO unit upkeep:
We have reverse osmosis unit
in our organization, though I know how to operate it I would
like to know how to maintain RO plant, like weekly and
monthly maintenance.
We have installed a new
membrane as we spoiled the old one, I just don't want to
spoil this one as well. Any help?
(Click
here to post a reply)
Regards,
Murali Ramadass
APL
murali.ramadoss@yahoo.in
Help Forum:
Share your
expertise with others in our
Help
Forum. |
|
i
i |
|
|
|
|
i
i |
| From the Job
Fair: We have a number of job openings on the Job
Fair, here are just a few of them we would like to share
with you. If you know someone in need, please forward
our newsletter to them, so they can check on a job that
might suit them.
New Openings this week:
Wastewater Collection System Supervisor - Modesto,
CA
Wastewater Sales Representative - New England and
New York
Wastewater Project Managers - Northern California
Project Manager - Water/Wastewater - Texas
Chemist - Oshkosh, WI
Mechanical Estimator Water/Wastewater - Dallas/Fort
Worth, TX
Account Manager, Industrial Wastewater Treatment
- TX & LA
For job more listings, and we
have a bunch of them, visit
our Job
Fair.
The Job Fair:
A free
service of Water and Wastewater.com. You can post job
opening for managers, engineers, sales, reps or other
talented people you need. ...Or one can post their resume
for companies who are looking to add talented people to
their staff.
Do you have a position
you need to fill? Visit the Job
Fair. |
|
|
i
i |
| About Us :
Water and Wastewater Newsletter
© 1999-2009 Water and Wastewater.com
Home page: http://www.waterandwastewater.com
Joseph Taylor, Editor
Water and Wastewater Newsletter
3948 South Third Street, No. 121
Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250
Phone: 904-280-4656
Fax: 904-273-1399
Email: jtaylor@waterandwastewater.com
Water and Wastewater
Newsletter is a 100% opt-in e-mail list of information for
the water and wastewater treatment professional. Do
you have company news, a new product, new service or other
information you would like to share with our subscribers?
Please submit articles via e-mail, only to: news@waterandwastewater.com |
|
|
::
Cleaning contaminated water –
with Vinegar
::
Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize
2009 Awarded
::
Aqua-Aerobic MBR tested at
Colorado School of Mines
::
WSP Environmental Launches
Water Footprint Tool
:: The News Center : More headlines
:: The Water and Wastewater Blog
:: Video Center
:: Help Forum
::
Water and Wastewater Plant
Directory : Featured Plant
:: The Job Fair
:: Top Picks at Amazon.com
:: Ask Tom! Column!
:: 165,000+ visitors in February !
:: Call For Photographs!
:: Subscribe, Unsubscribe
:: Archive Information
:: About Us
|
|
|
|
| Hi Everyone,
How about a little vinegar on
your salad, does it help digestion? It seems to help
bugs in the soil gobble up water bourn contaminates... read
on!
With over 10,000+ subscribers,
our goal is to provide information
to improve your business by using the resources available on the
Internet.
Thanks,
Joe Taylor, Editor
jtaylor@waterandwastewater.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Send
a copy of this newsletter
to a friend or associate! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| This
months Ask Tom! article |
|
|
|
|
Using Zeta Potential to Optimize Water Treatment
Guest article by Ana
Morfesis & Ulf Nobbmann, Malvern Instruments
|
|
 We
Need Your
Guest Articles!
Do you have an area of expertise in water and wastewater
treatment, have you solved a difficult problem? Share your
knowledge with others and promote yourself too, by contributing
an article to the Ask Tom! Column. For more
information, please contact Tom
Keenan.
Click here for past
Ask
Tom! Archived Articles
|
|
|
Featured
Case History |
|
|
|
|
165,000+ visitors in February ! |
|
|
Banner Advertising
How
can you reach the world's top water and wastewater executives, engineers, managers and service personnel? By
placing a banner ad on the industry's most popular web
site.
Water and Wastewater.com is
your strategic link to the precise audience interested in
your products and services. Both nationally and
internationally. Rates are reasonable - and results are
more than satisfying!
Get your rate card
now! Email
us at
rates@waterandwastewater.com
Click
here for
Advertising Opportunities
|
|
|
|
| Call For
Photographs
This week's
photo is of an Aquionics UV inline wastewater treatment
installation in Anthem, Arizona, where treated wastewater is
used for golf course irrigation. Aquionic's superior UV
technologies and unsurpassed application experience give you
the best solutions possible.
Photo courtesy
Damian Corbet of
Aquionics Inc.
Send us
your photos: We would love to have your photo of
a water or wastewater treatment "action shot" for
inclusion on our home page, free of charge. Send your
photograph and description to: news@waterandwastewater.com
|
|
|
|
| This issue of
Water and Wastewater Newsletter was sent to 11,524 water and wastewater treatment professionals at the time of this
mailing.
|
|
|
|
|
To subscribe to
our newsletter enter your email address and click the
"Subscribe Now" button below.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| To unsubscribe,
click the hyperlink provided at the bottom of this email
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"It
is a well written but useful guide..."
"It
is a monumental work, very clear and well written. We needed
this book."
