CA1072691A - Method for the removal of nitrogen compounds in water - Google Patents

Method for the removal of nitrogen compounds in water

Info

Publication number
CA1072691A
CA1072691A CA246,611A CA246611A CA1072691A CA 1072691 A CA1072691 A CA 1072691A CA 246611 A CA246611 A CA 246611A CA 1072691 A CA1072691 A CA 1072691A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
water
ground
microorganisms
catchment
soil
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA246,611A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Knut A. G. Olsson
Carl G. H. Carlsson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Euroc Administration AB
Original Assignee
Euroc Administration AB
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Euroc Administration AB filed Critical Euroc Administration AB
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1072691A publication Critical patent/CA1072691A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02FTREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F3/00Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F3/30Aerobic and anaerobic processes
    • C02F3/302Nitrification and denitrification treatment
    • C02F3/305Nitrification and denitrification treatment characterised by the denitrification
    • C02F3/306Denitrification of water in soil
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02FTREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F1/00Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F1/58Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by removing specified dissolved compounds
    • C02F1/62Heavy metal compounds
    • C02F1/64Heavy metal compounds of iron or manganese
    • C02F1/645Devices for iron precipitation and treatment by air
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02FTREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F3/00Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F3/28Anaerobic digestion processes
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02FTREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F3/00Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F3/28Anaerobic digestion processes
    • C02F3/2806Anaerobic processes using solid supports for microorganisms
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02FTREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F3/00Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F3/34Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage characterised by the microorganisms used

Landscapes

  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Microbiology (AREA)
  • Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Biodiversity & Conservation Biology (AREA)
  • Soil Sciences (AREA)
  • Purification Treatments By Anaerobic Or Anaerobic And Aerobic Bacteria Or Animals (AREA)
  • Treatment Of Biological Wastes In General (AREA)

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A method for the removal from water of such injurious nitrogen compounds as are present in water supplies, such as ground water, and in water drawn from a water catchment, supply and like source comprises treating the water with microorganisms which convert the injurious nitrogen compounds into non-injurious compounds.

Description

~L61172~

This invention rPlates to ~ method for the removal of injurious nitrogen compounds in water, particularly in ground water which is still in the soil and has not yet ~ :
collected in a ground wa~er supply or other kind of water catchment.
Nitrates and especially nitrites in drinking water are known to be injurious to health. Nitrogen compounds are :
also known to be generally present in the soil and not only in organic compounds and organic residues but also inter alia as ammonium, nitrate and nitrite ions which partake in the nitrogen cycle of Nature and are formed and broken down in conformity with the laws of Nature, often microbiologically.
Some bacteria can thus convert ammonia into nitrogen oxide while other bacteria can ¢onvert nitrogen dioxide into nitrogen trioxide. However, there are also bacteria which are capable :
of converting nitrogen trioxide into nitrogen gas and nitrous gases, particularly nitrous oxide, by so-called denitri-fication.

There are several conceivable alternative processes for removin~ injurious nitrogen compounds in ground ..
water and weIl-water emerging from the soil.
The wa~er can be treated for instance, physico- .
chemically, e.g. by ion exchange, reverse osmosis and electrodialysis. It seems probable, however, that the investment and energy costs required for such treatment methods would make them less attractive.
The object of the present invention thus is to remove, by simple and economical means, injurious nitrogen compounds contained inter alia in ground water and well-water.

.. . . . . .. .

~ 26;~L

According to the invention, it has proved that injurious nitrogen compounds, especially nitrates and nitrites, can be removed from water in a surprisingly simple and economical manner, particularly when the water is still present as ground water in the ground water bearing soil layers and before it runs off into a water catchment, e.g. a ground water well. The denitrification takes place with the aid of microorganisms which are prefexably suspended in a nutrient solution. Said nutrient solution is pumped down into the soil suxrounding the water catchment, e.gO a ground water well, from which one wishes to draw water freed from injurious nitrogen compounds, for instance for human consumption.
The ground water bearing soil layers at a certain depth, greater than 5 m, are substantially sterile. ~owever, according to the invention, the nutrient solution with its contents of denitrification microorganisms is pumped down into said soil layers through a plurality of pipes spaced suitable distances apart. The pipes may be placed for instance from 30 to 100 m apart and from 30 to 100 m from the water catchment.
When the yround water flows in a certain direction in the soil the pipes should of aourse be driven into the soil upstream of the water catchment so that preferably only the water which collects in and shall be drawn from the water catchment will be subjected to a denitrification treatment.
The direct advantage gained by the method accord-ing to the invention resides in that but a small amount of water need be processed for use as process water, whereas in conv`entional processes for the purification of volumes of
- 2 -.. ~ . .

,"

3L~7~91 water, for instance by ion exchange, reverse osmosis and electrodialysis, the whole volumes of water will pass through the treatment vessel or vessels.
~ he nutrient solution containing the micro-organisms is preferably prepared in ~hat a relatively small amount of the water drawn from the water catchment, for instance part of the water drawn from a ground water well, is continuously or intermittently led away and that well-balanced quantities of nutrient solution and cultures of denitrification microorganisms are added to said led-away water and that the thus resulting solution is pumped through said pipes down into the ground water bearing soil layers.
As nutrien~ solution use is preferably made of a sugar solution such as a glucose solution, or a starch suspension or waste water from a process for producing sugar, cellulose, dairy products or the like~
Should the ground water bearing soil layers be relatively strongly acid, sa~ of a pH of 5.5 to 6.01 and the denitrification microorganisms utilized be of such a type that they will be inhibited in acid environment, the nutrient solution should be made basic, e.g. by means of an alkali hydroxide.
Suitable anaerobic microorganisms of strong denitrification capacity are such bacteria species as Pseudomonas, Achromobacter and Bacillus which are used at the degradation of sludge.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the nutrient solution containing the denitrification microorganisms is deaerated by vacuum treatment ~efore the solution is pumped down into the ground water bearing soil layers. This will provide a more highly anaerobic environment for the
3 ~ ~

.

~7Z~
denitrification microorganisms which usually are most produc tive in a definitely anaerobic environmentO There also occur so-called heterotrophic microorganisms which can perform the denitrification work in a strongly aerobic environment, and in that case no deaeration t.reatment of the water with the denitrification additives is required.
It is previously known to remove iron harmful to human consumption from water drawn from a ground water well by introducing water containiny oxygen or oxygen-emitting substances into the ground water bearing soil layers in the surroundings of the well. The iron will thereby form iron oxide which in turn is precipitated and filtered off during the passage of the ground water through the soil.
An embodiment of the present invention relates to a combination of the method of removing iron from ground water in the soil, for instance the method just described, and the method of removing in~urious nitrogen compounds from the ground water in the soil. First the iron can be removed from the ~round water and then the nitrogen compounds, possibly combined with a deaeration of the water con~aining denitri-fication microoryanisms and a nutrient solution, be:Eore the water is pumped down into the soil, Alternatively, the nitrogen compounds can be removed first and the i.ron afterwards, but the nitrogen compounds and the iron can also be removed simultaneously with the aid of one and the same treatment water. A pre-requisite for the last-mentioned alternative~ -however, is that use is made of definitely aerobic and he~erotrophic microorganisms~ -A particularly important embodiment of the present inven~ion is applicable when soil conditions are such that :, . :
' ' ' ' ' ' ' ~ 7~

a denitrification according to the invention in the ground water bearing soil layers is hardly possible or practically feasible. Ground water from a well, preferably freed from iron, for instance according to the above description, is then caused to pass through a treatment tower with a bed of filling material, e.g. of organic nature, such as peat litter or plastic bodies, suggestive of ground water bearing soil layers. The particles or bodies constitu~ing said filling material shall have a large total surface and a biological coat or skin with organisms that realize the denitrification of the water which is caused, for instance by gravity, to pass through the filling material.
In another embodiment of the invention, raw water from a ground water well containing iron and harmful nitrogen compounds is treated in a first tower for the removal of the iron and then in a second tower containing the above-described illing material for the removal of the nitrogen compounds, a deaeration of the water by vacuum being suitably effected prior to the denitrification stepO As an alternative, the raw water is first treated in the denitrification tower and then in the deferrization tower, in which case a deaeration will probably be superfluous.
When ground water does not contain large amounts o~ iron and nitrogen compounds, such as nitrate and nitrite, which <it generally does not, it will be sufficient for instance for a farm household to replace the filling material in the tower or towers but once a year if the volume of the -~
ma~erial is about 1 m3 or larger.

The following examples illustrate the present invention but should not be interpreted in a restrictive sense:

- . :
_ 5 _ - . . ~

~L~7;~ii9~

An unsatisfactorily high ~itrate cont~nt of 215 . .
mg NO3 per liter of ground water was measured in a large water catchment. The direction of flow of the water in the soil layers was determined. Two holes were bored 50 and 70 m upstream of the drawing well. From the hole spaced 70 m from the well a flow of water was drawn and led to a closed tank where a mixture of the organisms Pseudomonas SPS, A~hromobacter SPS and Bacillus SPS in equal parts as well as a 20~ glucose solution as nutri~nt liquid were admixed with the water. The tank was evacuated for removal of dissol~ed oxygen from the water. The deyassed water containing said organisms and said nutrient li~uid was pumped, as treatment liquid, down into he ground water ~low through the hole spaced 50 m from the drawing well.
For a period of 1 month a flow of treatment liquid of this kind was continuously pumped down in an amount corresponding to 5~ of a maximum draw-of~ from the well. The ground water flow had a temperature of 7.5 to 8C. It proved that the nitrate content in the drawn-off water had been reduced from 215 m~ NO3 per liter to 8 mg NO3 per liter.

, .

Unsatisfactorily high nitrate contents of 270 mg NO3 per liter of ground water had been measured in a small water catchment. From the catchment, water was transferred to a tower containing a filling material of particles or bodies coated with a biological layer containing int~r alia the ;~
organisms Pseudomonas 5PS~ Achromobacter SP5 and Bacillus SPS
in equal amounts. The load was 65 1 per m2 x hour and the time of stay was 15 minutes at 15C. A 15% glucose solution , : , ' .~ , .
. ~ , . :

~L~7~9~
as nutrient source was introduced into the tower. Tests showed that the nitrate content in the water was reduced fxom 270 mg No3 per liter to 9 mg N03 per liter at the passage of the water through the bed of material in the tower.

~X~MPLE 3 Unsatisfactorily high nitrate contents of about 170 mg N03 per liter had been measured in a water catchment.
The ground water was therefore passed through a treatment tower of 2 m height, containing fine sand. The sand grains were covered with a biological coat or film which contained cultures of inter alia the microorganisms Pseudomonas SPS, Achromobacter SPS and Bacillus SPS in substantially equal amounts and had been formed in that a 1% glucose solution containing said three microorganism cultures was passed through the sand after said sand had first been washed by `
treatment with compressed water.
To the ground water which was passed through the sand bed of the tower in an amount of about 50 1 per m2 of inner tower area and hour ~the time of stay was 8 hours at ~ 15C.) there was added a 15% glucose solution in an amount of about 0.001 1 p~r liter of ground water. The nitrate content of the water downstream o e the tower had been reduced from about 170 mg N03 per liter to about 9 mg N03~
As filling ma~erial in the towe.r, use was made of fine sand, but peat litter and even synthetic materials, e.g.
plastics powder having particles of a size of for instance 0.01 to 1 mm, have been used with favourable results as carriers for the coat or film containing the denitrification microorganisms.

The biological coat or film may suitably be formed ~7Z6~ ~

and maintained by continuously or intermittently passing through the treatment tower an aqueous nutrient solution to which the microorganisms of denitrification capacity are admixed, It can be established on an experimental basis how the amount of nutrient solution and cultures o~ denitrification microorganisms should be adjusted for attaining satisfactory results immediately as well as in the long run.

EX~MPLE 4 A cylindrical contai~er of lO 1 volume was filled with fine~grained sand. The sand was treated in the same way as in E~ample 3 so that biological coats or films formed on the sand grains. : ~
Ground water according to Example 3, i.e. having a ~. . .
nitrate content of about 170 mg NO3, was passed through the container so that the time of stay amounted only to l hour at 15C. O~ the water drawn from the container, about 90%
; were constantly recycled to the container. A 15% glucose solution in the amounts mentioned in Example 1 was added to the ~ :
fresh water of high nitrate content supplied to the container.
The amount of non-recyclea water (10%) had a low nitrate content, i.e. 10 mg per liter. : `

.
, .

Claims (16)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A method for treating water containing injurious nitrogen compounds to render the water suitable for drinking, wherein water flowing as ground water through ground water bearing soils to a water catchment or water flowing through a filter bed of particles is treated in the ground water soils or in the filter bed respectively with microorganisms selected from the group of bacteria species consisting of Pseudomonas, Achromobacter and Bacillus to convert the injurious nitrogen compounds into non-injurious compounds.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising continuously or intermittently passing water containing said microorganisms into a region of a ground water bearing soil layer in which ground water flows to a water catchment and the microorganisms thus introduced into the soil convert in situ nitrates and nitrites in the ground water flowing to the water catchment into ammonia, nitrogen gas and nitrous gases.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising passing the water through a denitrification bed comprising material particles having similar properties of perviousness to the ground water bearing soil, in which bed the particles are coated with a sub-stance containing the microorganisms which convert the injurious nitrogen compounds into non-injurious compounds,
4. A method as claimed in claim 2, in which a water-soluble nutrient selected from the group consisting of sugar, starch and waste water from a process of producing sugar, cellulose, sacchariferous products, or starch-containing products, separately or in mixture with each other, is mixed with the water passed into the ground to form a nutrient for said microorganisms.
5. A method as claimed in claim 2, comprising basifying the water to be passed into the soil when the soil is acidic.
6. A method as claimed in claim 2, in which the water utilized for passing the microorganisms into the soil is part of the water drawn from the water catchment.
7. A method as claimed in claim 2, comprising passing the water containing the microorganisms into the ground water bearing soil layers through pipes spaced from about 30 to about 100 m from the water catchment and from about 30 to about 100 m from each other.
8. A method as claimed in claim 7, comprising placing the pipes upstream with respect to a direction in which the ground water flows.
9. A method as claimed in claim 2, comprising passing water containing oxygen or oxygen-emitting substances into the water bearing soil layers in the same way as the water containing microorganisms to establish zones for deferrization of the ground water and for denitrification of the water.
10. A method as claimed in claim 9, comprising arranging distinct deferrization zones at distances from the ground water catchment greater than distinct denitrification zones.
11. A method as claimed in claim 10, comprising arranging distinct denitrification zones at distances from the ground water catchment greater than distinct deferrization zones.
12. A method as claimed in claim 10, comprising utilizing aerobic heterotrophic microorganisms.
13. A method as claimed in claim 3, in which said bed of material particles is disposed in a water treatment tower through which the water to be treated is passed downwardly.
14. A method as claimed in claim 13, comprising deferrizing iron-containing water prior to its flow through the denitrifica-tion tower.
15. A method as claimed in claim 13, comprising deferrizing iron-containing water after its treatment in the denitrification tower.
16. A method as claimed in claim 3, in which the denitrifi-cation bed comprises a bed of fine particles coated with said substance.
CA246,611A 1975-02-27 1976-02-26 Method for the removal of nitrogen compounds in water Expired CA1072691A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE7502197 1975-02-27

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1072691A true CA1072691A (en) 1980-02-26

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ID=20323815

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
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Country Status (10)

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JP (1) JPS51110856A (en)
CA (1) CA1072691A (en)
CS (1) CS194742B2 (en)
DD (1) DD124968A5 (en)
DE (1) DE2607114A1 (en)
DK (1) DK81876A (en)
FR (1) FR2302279A1 (en)
MX (1) MX3385E (en)
NL (1) NL7602004A (en)
PL (1) PL100138B1 (en)

Families Citing this family (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
NL7803073A (en) * 1978-03-22 1979-09-25 Stamicarbon METHOD OF REMOVING MELAMINE FROM MELAMINE-CONTAINING LIQUIDS.
NL8101682A (en) * 1981-04-03 1982-11-01 Nicolaas Arie Van Staveren METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE ANAEROBIC FERMENTATION OF LIQUID MANURE
CH653317A5 (en) * 1982-02-18 1985-12-31 Sulzer Ag METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR THE BIOLOGICAL DENITRIFICATION OF GROUNDWATER.
FR2550182B1 (en) * 1983-08-02 1988-02-26 Rech Geolog Miniere METHOD OF DENITRIFICATION OF GROUNDWATER FOR POTABILIZATION
SE439917B (en) * 1984-01-16 1985-07-08 Vyrmetoder Ab PROCEDURE TO REDUCE NITRATE CONTENT IN GROUND WATER
DE3444139A1 (en) * 1984-12-04 1986-06-05 Stefan 4835 Rietberg Elmer Method and apparatus for treating groundwater
FR2622567B1 (en) * 1987-11-04 1991-01-18 Gestion Sa Fse Et METHOD FOR IN SITU ANOXIC DETOXIFICATION OF CONTAMINATED SUBTERRANEAN TABLECLOTHS
US4992174A (en) * 1989-06-08 1991-02-12 Environmental Science & Engineering, Inc. Fixed bed bioreactor remediation system
DE19853906C2 (en) * 1998-11-23 2001-11-15 Materialforschungs Und Pruefan Process and arrangement for cleaning leachate
JP4625552B2 (en) * 1999-03-08 2011-02-02 大成建設株式会社 Groundwater purification method
JP2001269699A (en) * 2000-03-24 2001-10-02 Japan Science & Technology Corp Direct cleaning method for ground water contaminated with nitric acid
CN100553808C (en) * 2003-12-19 2009-10-28 特雷科控股有限公司 From contaminated underground water, remove the method for pollutant

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE114709C (en) *
FI43852B (en) * 1969-02-13 1971-03-01 Yrjoe Reijonen
US3829377A (en) * 1970-11-16 1974-08-13 Union Oil Co Reduction of water pollution by biological denitrification
IT1037933B (en) * 1974-05-09 1979-11-20 Celanese Corp PROCESS OF WASTE WATER TREATMENT

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NL7602004A (en) 1976-08-31
DD124968A5 (en) 1977-03-23
DE2607114A1 (en) 1976-09-09
CS194742B2 (en) 1979-12-31
FR2302279A1 (en) 1976-09-24
DK81876A (en) 1976-08-28
JPS51110856A (en) 1976-09-30
PL100138B1 (en) 1978-09-30
MX3385E (en) 1980-10-27

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