Patent EA-003434-B1 (EA)
Title: Waste treatment process
Inventor: ROZICH ALAN
IPC: C02F1/46
Filed: 2000-10-19
Abstract: 1. A process for the treatment of organic waste comprising the steps of : (a) feeding organic waste to a biological reactor and subjecting said organic waste to biological digestion so as to convert at least a portion of said organic waste to a clear decant and a mixture of biosolids and unconverted organic material; (b) contacting a least a portion of said mixture of biosolids and unconverted organic material with at least one oxidizing agent in a chemical treatment unit; (c) maintaining an oxidation-reduction potential of said at least a portion of said mixture at greater than 0 mV so as to convert said at least a portion of said mixture to a conditioned effluent; and d) returning said conditioned effluent to said biological reactor. 2. The process of claim 1 wherein said (c) comprises maintaining said oxidation reduction potential at about +200 mV or greater. 3. The process of claim 1 wherein said (b) includes contacting said at least a portion of said mixture of biosolids and unconverted organic material with oxygen in such a manner as to raise the oxidation reduction potential of said at least a first portion of said mixture to 0 mV or greater, then contacting said at least a portion of said mixture with at least one second oxidizing agent so as to raise said oxidation reduction potential to about +200 mV or greater. 4. The process of claim 3 wherein said at least one second oxidizing agent comprises a combination of oxidizing agents. 5. The process of claim 1 wherein said at least one oxidizing agent comprises an oxidizing agent generated by electrolysis. 6. The process of claim 5 wherein at said oxidizing agent generated by electrolysis is generated by subjecting at least a portion of said at least a portion of said mixture of biosolids and unconverted organic material to electrolysis. 7. The process of claim 1 wherein said (c) is performed at temperatures of about 120 C to about 300 C and pressures of about 2 atm to about 10 atm. 8. The process of claim 1 wherein said (c) comprises maintaining said oxidation reduction potential at about +500 mV or greater. 9. The process of claim 8 wherein said (c) is performed at pressures of about I atm and temperatures at about the atmospheric boiling point of said at least a portion of said mixture of biosolids and unconverted organic materials or less. 10. The process of claim 1 further comprising returning at least a second portion of said mixture of biosolids and unconverted organic material to said biological reactor in such quantities as to control the system net growth rate within a selected range of values of about 0.05 day<-1> and less. 11. The process of claim 10 wherein said selected range of values is between about 0.01 day<-1> and about 0.006 day<-1>. 12. The process of claim 1 further comprising reducing the particle sizes of the biosolids in said at least a first portion of said mixture of biosolids and unconverted organic material prior to performing said (b). 13. The process of claim 1 wherein said (b) is performed by cavitation of said at least a portion of said mixture of biosolids and unconverted organic material. 14. The process of claim 1 comprising adding enzymes to said organic waste during said (a) to stimulate cellular respiration and to suppress cell yield. 15. The process of claim 1 comprising adding mature cells to said organic waste during said (a) to suppress cell yield.