Patent ID: 6077432
Filing Date: 2000-06-20
Classification: C02F,Y02W

Abstract:
A method for the treatment of wastewater, suspected of being contaminated with perchlorates, nitrates, hydrolysates and other energetic materials, comprising:(a) providing at least one microaerobic reactor containing a mixed bacterial culture capable of reducing perchlorate, nitrate, hydrolysates and other energetic products;(b) feeding contaminated wastewater into the microaerobic reactor;(c) maintaining a microaerobic environment in the microaerobic reactor by at least one method selected from the group consisting of (i) mixing air and nitrogen gas and sparging or purging the reactor with the gas mixture; (ii) using a nitrogen membrane separator to provide a low oxygen-containing nitrogen gas to the reactor for sparging or purging; (iii) adding air to the reactor for sparging or purging as necessary to maintain a target dissolved oxygen concentration or a target oxygen concentration in head space gas present in the reactor; and (iv) adding and/or maintaining oxygenated ions and/or oxygenated molecules; and(d) maintaining suitable nutrient and environmental conditions in the microaerobic reactor so as to cause decontamination of the contaminated wastewater.