Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
  • C12N—MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA
  • C12N1/00—Microorganisms, e.g. protozoa; Compositions thereof; Processes of propagating, maintaining or preserving microorganisms or compositions thereof; Processes of preparing or isolating a composition containing a microorganism; Culture media therefor
  • C12N1/20—Bacteria; Culture media therefor
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B09—DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE; RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL
  • B09C—RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL
  • B09C1/00—Reclamation of contaminated soil
  • B09C1/002—Reclamation of contaminated soil involving in-situ ground water treatment
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B09—DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE; RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL
  • B09C—RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL
  • B09C1/00—Reclamation of contaminated soil
  • B09C1/10—Reclamation of contaminated soil microbiologically, biologically or by using enzymes
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F2101/00—Nature of the contaminant
  • C02F2101/30—Organic compounds
  • C02F2101/36—Organic compounds containing halogen
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F2103/00—Nature of the water, waste water, sewage or sludge to be treated
  • C02F2103/06—Contaminated groundwater or leachate
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F2305/00—Use of specific compounds during water treatment
  • C02F2305/06—Nutrients for stimulating the growth of microorganisms

Definitions

• This invention relates to a nutrient delivery system and material for use particularly but not exclusively in biological groundwater remediation systems.
• PRBs Permeable Reactive Barriers
• PRBs are a passive intervention remediation technology.
• PRBs contaminated groundwater passes, under natural or induced hydraulic gradients, through an in situ reactive material, where the contaminant is either abiotically or biotically degraded or sorbed.
• PRB's are unique as they can be inserted to prevent contaminant movement across site boundaries prior to risk receptors, or simply to intercept a contaminant plume. They also do not suffer from the same limitations as the pump-and -treat method as only those contaminants already in solution are treated (Borden et al . 1997).
• Bio processes are ] nown to effect the cycling of numerous elements in nature.
• biological PRBs that utilise the attenuating capacity of the indigenous microbial population in the groundwater, have been developed.
• Biologically enhanced PRBs have been suggested as a method for controlling the migration of dissolved hydrocarbons and other readily biodegradable contaminants (Borden et al . 1997) such as the dissolved gasoline components benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and toluene (BTEX) (Alvarez & Vogel 1991) .
• Chlorinated solvents such as tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE) have also been found to be degradable in reactive barriers (Keeley et al . 1999, Kao & Lei 2000) .
• the rate, type of active microbial population within the barrier and the level of activity and degradation are controlled by nutrient concentration, biogeochemical and environmental conditions.
• compounds which play a major role in the supply (electron donors e.g. toluene)
• the transfer of electrons (electron acceptors e.g. N0 3 " , S0 4 2 ⁇ ) or are principal construction elements of cells (e.g. C, N and P) will strongly influence the biodegrading of contaminates.
• ETEX degradation can occur under both anaerobic and aerobic conditions and reports of degradation of toluene and benzene under nitrate reducing (Barbaro et al .
• ORC methyl tert butyl ether
• PCP pentachlorophenol
• VC vinyl chloride
• the typical lifetime of ORC is approximately 6 months and it does not require continuous maintenance. It is currently being used in groundwater and soil remediation on over 2800 sites in the USA and in several other countries with an estimated treatment cost of $47-83 per 1000 gallons. However, its performance is limited by the presence of elevated concentrations of metals, particularly iron, in target waters.
• a nutrient delivery material for a media remediation system comprising a support material having immobilised therewith one or more nutrients, which nutrient (s) are releasable upon the flow of media thereover.
• the nutrient delivery material that has been developed will facilitate the delivery of a range of nutrients, both organic and inorganic, possibly to a subsurface, over an extended period of time i.e. a number of years.
• the nutrient immobilised within the material will be dependent on the specific site requirements but will normally be an inorganic or organic nutrient that is deficient in the media that is to be treated.
• the media could be water, air, etc.; generally water such as groundwater.
• This delivery material provides a system will have numerous advantages over other systems in that it will be maintenance free for long periods of time i.e. it will only need to be replaced once the nutrient has run out. It will also allow the nutrient delivered to be site-specific thereby optimising degradation. Nutrients can be released at a rate determined by the growth of the microbial population. Nutrients released will immediately be utilised by the bacterial population growing on the material. This will prevent the unnecessary release of nutrients into the surrounding environment.
• the material of the nutrient system could be made and provided in a number of different ways and forms. It could be manufactured in pellets and granules of different size and shape. It could be used as a matrix or solid surface on which bacteria can attach and grow. The material could also be sprayed onto suitable surfaces. The material could also be used as a pH control mechanism for the treatment of acidic media. In this the incoming acidic media will flow over the material and due to the release of hydroxides and carbonates, the pH of the water will be elevated.
• the material could also be injected into media (e.g. sub-surface) where it will dry. forming a barrier.
• This material can be used in ex-si tu treatment processes i.e. processes above ground.
• the material could also be used as a material in biological trickling filters and bioscrubbers .
• the material could serve as a matrix for the growth of bacteria while also compensating for any pH changes that may occur in the incoming air or water stream.
• the support material for the nutrient system generally has the following composition: Any fine aggregate, e.g. sand. Any cement, e.g. Portlandite cement Water
• the sand: cement :water is preferably in an approximate ratio of 3:2:1 by volume. However these ratios can be different depending on the strength of the product that is to be obtained and the nutrients to be added to this mixture. More than one nutrient can be added.
• the support material includes an aluminium, and the aluminium: silica and/or cement: aluminium: silica ratio also varies the strength of the support material as desired or necessary.
• the support material also includes an admixture.
• An admixture is a material other than water, aggregate, cement and fibre support, which can be used as an ingredient of concrete and added to the batch immediately before or during mixing. The addition of these admixtures serves to enhance the properties of the support material .
• Chemical admixtures that can be used in the present invention include: water reducers, superplasticisers, polymers, retards, accelerators and air entrainers .
• Mineral admixtures that can be added include microsilica, pulverized fuel ash, ground granulated blastfurnace slag, rice husk ash, high reactivity metakaoline, zeolite or fuel ash.
• any inorganic nutrient can be added to the material of the nutrient delivery system, either in the form of a powder or salt that will dissolve in water, or in the form of a concentrated liquid solution.
• the nutrient can also be added in the form of a nutrient sorbed onto a porous aggregate that is used.
• Organic nutrients can be added in the same form.
• the support material can be formed as a clay-like material, but is more usually a concrete-like material.
• the material is generally allowed to dry and then ground into the required size.
• a process for the preparation of a nutrient delivery material comprising the steps of; (a) admixing a fine aggregate, cement, water, and optionally aluminum and/or an admixture as hereinbefore defined, to form a support material, and one or more nutrients either simultaneously or thereafter; (b) drying the so-formed material; and (c) grinding the dried material; wherein the ratio of ingredients in step (a) and/or degree of grinding in step (c) determines the rate of release of the or each nutrient from the support material.
• a process for delivering one or more nutrients for a media, generally water, remediation system comprising locating a nutrient delivery material as hereinbefore defined in the path of the media.
• a support material for a media remediation nutrient delivery system which material is adapted to immobilise one or more nutrients which are releasable upon a flow of media thereover .
• the present invention provides a material that can be used in a PRB or other reactive zone for enhanced natural attenuation.
• the material can be formed as a porous structure, e.g. if the nutrient (s) are within a suitable aggregate, or in a more solid- formed material like concrete, which can be subsequently crushed to form the desired shaped and/or sized material suitable for nutrient release over time.
• the nutrient (s) are well known in the art, and comprise any substance adapted to sustain bacteria known for their media-remediation.
• BiNDs Biological Nutrient Delivery System
• the BiNDs material was characterised by Powder X-ray diffraction and Infra-red spectroscopy. These techniques serve to give a fingerprint of the main components in the material and indicate how the structure of the material changes during nutrient release.
• To the BiNDs material was added either a "nitrate” in the form of potassium nitrate, an "ammonium” in the form of ammonium phosphate, or a "phosphate” in the form of potassium phosphate.
• Figures 1-14 and Tables 1-7 hereinafter show X-ray powder diffraction or Infra-Red patterns, peaks and scans for samples of the BiNDs materials either before leaching or at times after leaching.
• Figure 15 hereinafter is an electron microscope photograph of the BiNDS material at the initial stages of biofilm development.
• the leaching data was provided by passing deionised water over time through a column of the relevant BiNDs material.
• In-si tu implementation of the material in a groundwater remediation system could, for example, be carried by the digging of a trench as conventionally done when constructing permeable reactive barriers. The material can then be added to the trench either in pockets separated by an appropriate metal or chemically inert material or in a continuous trench. Pockets will facilitate the removal of sections of the barrier for replacement and investigation.
• the groundwater will flow through the material. Bacteria present in the groundwater will attach to the material to gain access to the immobilised nutrients either by active mechanisms or by passive diffusion from the material. An active biofilm will form on the material. This microbial biofilm will breakdown contaminants in the groundwater passing through the material
• Ex-si tu implementation of the material could involve, for example, the packing of the material into a reactor of appropriate design e.g. biological trickling filter, air scrubber.
• the reactor will be seeded with a population of micro-organisms that are able to degrade the contaminant of interest.
• the material When used as a method for elevating the pH of acidic effluents, the material will be placed into a bed over which the effluent will flow. The flow rate will be determined by the pH and composition of the effluent.
• the present invention provides a nutrient delivery system which can supply nutrients to a bacterial population that in turn will breakdown contaminants. This system can be used to enhance natural attenuation processes by supplying essential nutrients in conditions where these nutrients are limiting or completely absent.
• This nutrient delivery system can be used in sub- surface environments e.g. as a packing material in Permeable Reactive Barriers (PRBs) , or in reactors treating contaminated wastewater and gaseous streams.
• PRBs Permeable Reactive Barriers
• This nutrient delivery system will passively supply nutrients for extended periods of time.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Biotechnology (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Bioinformatics & Cheminformatics (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Soil Sciences (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
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• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Microbiology (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Genetics & Genomics (AREA)
• Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
• Virology (AREA)
• Tropical Medicine & Parasitology (AREA)
• Biochemistry (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Medicinal Chemistry (AREA)
• Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
• Molecular Biology (AREA)
• Mycology (AREA)
• Biological Treatment Of Waste Water (AREA)
• Treatment Of Biological Wastes In General (AREA)

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• 2000
  • 2000-11-14 GB GBGB0027722.8A patent/GB0027722D0/en not_active Ceased
• 2001
  • 2001-11-14 WO PCT/GB2001/005013 patent/WO2002040413A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2001-11-14 EP EP01996516A patent/EP1339646A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2001-11-14 AU AU2002223799A patent/AU2002223799A1/en not_active Abandoned

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