Patent Description:
Since the passage of the Clean Water Act many industries have been required to institute treatment programs for the waste water they generate before these waters are discharged into public drains and waterways. These programs often include on-site waste water treatment processes, discharge into public treatment works or both.

Waste water is the term used for water which has been changed after household, commercial and industrial use, in particular water which is contaminated and flows and passes into the drainage channels.

Waste water typically contains a wide variety of contaminants which must be removed prior to discharge into public waterways and such contaminants include: organic matter, such as proteins, carbohydrates and lipids; chemicals, such as pesticides, insecticides, heavy metals and fertilizers; and sewage. The waste water is typically assessed in terms of its biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS) and dissolved oxygen (DO). Another important class of constituents that must be removed from waste water is the volatile organic compounds (VOC) which cause or contribute to the odor of waste water.

A number of processes have been developed which are directed at specific contaminants found in waste water, for example: phenol oxidases and hydrogen peroxide have been used to decolorize pulp and paper mill waste water (<CIT>); enzymes from an atypical strain of Bacillus stearothermophilus have been used to degrade algal cell walls (<CIT>); a combination of bacteria and enzymes have been used to improve the water quality of standing bodies of water (<CIT>); cellulases have been used to digest wood/paper compositions (<CIT>); Xanthomonas maltophilia and Bacillus thuringiensis have been used to degrade polar organic solvents (<CIT>); yeast has been used to digest carbohydrate-containing waste water (<CIT>); a combination of beta. -glucanase, alpha. -amylase and proteases have been used to digest microbial slime (<CIT>); and a combination of amylase, lipase and/or proteases have been used to digest colloidal material such as starch, grease, fat and protein (<CIT>). However, each of these compositions are directed at only a specific contaminant and they do not address the variety of contaminants which are usually found in waste water and other polluted water. A composition described in <CIT> used a yeast fermentation composition to deodorize sewage ponds and degrade organic waste. However, this composition has been found to be unstable and yielded variable results from one batch to another.

The above processes are generally carried out under aerobic conditions, that is, the treating process requires the presence of oxygen, usually from air.

<CIT>, describes a composition and method for accelerating the decomposition of hydrocarbons, comprising a non-ionic surfactant; sodium benzoate, imidazolidinyl urea; diazolidinyl urea; and a fermentation supernatant derived from a Saccharomyces cerevisiae culture.

<CIT> and <CIT>, both describe a substantially dry disposable device for creating ready-to-use cleaning solutions for inhibiting the growth and formation of biofilms, the device being impregnated with a concentrate supernatant from a Saccharomyces cerevisiae culture, at least one non-ionic surfactant, at least one fragrance, at least one dye and at least one preservative.

<CIT>, in the name of Podella, describes compositions of peptides and surface-active agents, together with methods of making and using such compositions. The compositions are capable of affecting metabolic rates in biological systems, and to accelerate nutrient uptake without a concomitant increase in biofilm production. The composition comprises a fermentation supernatant from a Saccharomyces cerevisiae culture, which contains active enzymes.

In all cases, the supernatant comprises active enzymes.

Disclosed is a liquid composition comprising fermentation supernatant from Saccharomyces cerevisiae culture and a non-ionic surfactant, preferably selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated alkylphenols and/or long chain aliphatic alcohols. This liquid composition in combination with the active enzymes, resulting from the fermentation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has been used under aerobic conditions, as well as anaerobic conditions to treat, among other waste waters, municipal sewage. (See <CIT>; <CIT>; <CIT>; <CIT> and published <CIT>. ) It has now been surprisingly found that a product comprising the combination of a fermentation supernatant from a Saccharomyces cerevisiae culture, which is free of active enzymes and which comprises a non-ionic surfactant is effective to treat sewage sludge, e.g. a sewage sludge resulting from the treatment of municipal or industrial waste water. This discovery is discussed in more detail below.

The biological treatment of liquids contaminated with organic materials or the purification of waste water to remove organic contaminants, which contaminants are contained in the liquids in a dissolved, colloidal or finely dispersed form, by microbial activity, e.g. by anaerobic degradation, generates a combustible gas, known as biogas.

Generally, waste water is biologically purified in waste treatment plants using the same or similar procedures which occur when the waste water biologically cleans itself in running waters, i.e. under aerobic conditions, albeit, in a technically more intensive manner. In nature, the anaerobic process of biological purification likewise occurs, e.g. at the bottom of flat, still waters.

For the purposes of describing the present invention, it is understood that "treating" means the conversion of organic materials, i.e. contaminants, by means of microorganisms, e.g. bacteria, in the presence or absence of oxygen. During the process of anaerobic degradation of organic materials, biogas is produced, i.e. a gas mixture which consists of methane, mainly, and carbon dioxide and traces of other ingredients. The process of the invention may also be carried out under aerobic conditions to provide fermentation products from cellulosic feeds, etc..

Methods for biologically treating liquids, containing high amounts of organic materials as contaminants, under anaerobic conditions are known for treating waste waters from the foodstuff industry, agriculture, mineral oil industry as well as from pulp making. In other words, it is possible to treat many 'liquids but, in general, such known biological methods are incapable of providing a full purification or complete conversion of such organic contam inants.

Oxidative biological and chemical processes in aqueous environments are limited by the low solubility of oxygen in water. This physical limitation is defined by Henry's Law. It states that when the temperature is kept constant, the amount of a gas that dissolves into a liquid is proportional to the pressure exerted by the gas on the liquid.

The solubility of oxygen in pure water is only about <NUM> parts per million (ppm) at ambient temperatures and at one atmosphere pressure. The composition used in the present invention has been observed to increase oxygen in water above levels, which would be anticipated by Henry's Law.

For most aerobic bioprocesses, whether a wastewater treatment system or a biotechnology fermentation, dissolved oxygen is quickly consumed so that replenishing it becomes the factor which limits the rate of the process. Therefore, the most critical component of a bioprocess design is the means for the mass transfer of oxygen into the liquid phase of the process. For an actively respiring culture of bacteria at a cell density of about <NUM>-<NUM> cells/ml, oxygen in the liquid medium must be replaced about <NUM> times per minute to keep up with the oxygen demand of the bacteria.

Water is typically aerated by increasing the contact surfaces between the gaseous and liquid phases. This can be done either by introducing a source of oxygen into a bulk liquid phase or by flowing dispersed water through a bulk gaseous (air) phases. Regardless of whether the gaseous or liquid phases dominate the oxygenation process, the mass transfer of oxygen, or other gas, is accomplished by introducing gas bubbles into the liquid phase. The efficiency of gas-liquid mass transfer depends to a large extent on the characteristics of the bubbles.

Bubble behavior strongly affects the following mass-transfer parameters:.

It is of fundamental importance in the study of bubbles to understand the exchange of gases across the interface between the free state within the bubble and the dissolved state outside the bubble. It is generally agreed that the most important property of air bubbles in a bioprocess is their size. For a given volume of gas, more interfacial area (a) between the gas phase and liquid phase is provided if the gas is dispersed into many small bubbles rather than a few large ones. Small bubbles, <NUM>-<NUM>, have been shown to have the following beneficial properties not shared by larger bubbles:
Small gas bubbles rise more slowly than large bubbles, allowing more time for a gas to dissolve in the aqueous phase. This property is referred to as gas hold-up, concentrations of oxygen in water can be more than doubled beyond Henry's Law solubility limits. For example, after a saturation limit of <NUM> ppm oxygen is attained; at least another <NUM> ppm oxygen within small bubbles would be available to replenish the oxygen.

Once a bubble has been formed, the major barrier for oxygen transfer to the liquid phase is the liquid film surrounding the bubble. Biochemical engineering studies have concluded that transport through this film becomes the rate-limiting step in the complete process, and controls the overall mass-transfer rate. However, as bubbles become smaller, this liquid film decreases so that the transfer of gas into the bulk liquid phase is no longer impeded.

Surfactants in water can lead to the formation of very small bubbles, less than <NUM> in diameter. These small bubbles, referred to as microbubbles, are the result of the reduced surface tension at the interface between the gas/liquid interface caused by surfactants.

As large concentrations of gas are introduced into a solution such as by a chemical reaction or other mechanism, the liquid phase can become supersaturated if nucleation centers for the formation of bubbles are absent. At this point microbubbles can then form spontaneously, nucleating large bubble formation, and sweeping dissolved gases from the solution until super saturation again occurred. In the presence of surfactants, it is likely that a larger portion of gas would remain in the solution as stable bubbles.

Microbubbles exposed to a dispersion of gas in a liquid show colloidal properties and are referred to as colloidal gas aphrons (CGA). CGA differ from ordinary gas bubbles in that they contain a distinctive shell layer consisting of a low concentration of a surfactant.

The composition used in the present invention exhibits desirable properties associated with surfactant microbubbles. However, the microbubbles formed with the composition of the present invention appear to increase the mass transfer of oxygen in liquids. Without being bound by scientific theory, there are several possible explanations for this difference:
The earlier described surfactant microbubbles involved the use of pure synthetic surfactants that were either anionic or cationic. The surfactants formulated into the composition of the present invention are nonionic and are blended with biosurfactants which significantly alter the properties of bubble behavior.

The composition used in the present invention requires a much lower concentration of surfactants for microbubble formation. It has been suggested that surfactant concentrations must approach the critical micelles concentration (CMS) of a surfactant system. In the composition of the present invention, microbubbles are formed below estimated CMCs for the surfactants used. This suggests that the composition used in the
present invention microbubbles are the result of aggregates of surfactant molecules with a loose molecular packing more favorable to gas mass transfer characteristics. A surface consisting of fewer molecules would be more gas permeable than a well-organized micelle containing gas.

In addition to surfactants, the composition used in the present invention contains biologically derived catalysts. Both of these components tend to be amphiphilic, that is they have pronounced hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties. Amphiphilic molecules tend to cluster in water to form and allow molecular weight aggregates which (as surfactant concentrations increase) result in micelle formation at concentrations ranging from <NUM>-<NUM> to <NUM><NUM> M. Aggregates of these amphiphilic molecules are the nuclei for microbubble formation.

The composition used in the present invention appears to increase oxygen levels in fluids. Without being bound by scientific theory, it is believed this effect can be explained by either or both of two mechanisms:.

With either mechanism, it is likely that the tendency of composition of the present invention organizes into clusters, aggregates, or gas-filled bubbles provides a platform for reactions to occur by increasing localized concentrations of reactants, lowering the transition of energy required for a catalytic reaction to occur, or some other mechanism which has not yet been described. It has been established that the non-ionic surfactants used in the composition used in the present invention are compatible with and enhance enzymatic reactions. The composition used in the present invention has catalytic activities that is more like the catalytic activities of functionalized surfactants than conventional enzyme systems.

The composition used in the present invention comprises a yeast fermentation supernatant and a non-ionic surfactant, in the absence of active enzymes and anionic or cationic surfactants.

Non-ionic surfactants suitable for use in the present invention include, but are not limited to, polyether non-ionic surfactants comprising fatty alcohols, alkyl phenols, fatty acids and fatty amines which have been ethoxylated; polyhydroxyl non-ionic (polyols) typically comprising sucrose esters, sorbital esters, alkyl glucosides and polyglycerol esters which may or may not be ethoxylated. In one embodiment of the present invention a surfactant of the general formulae:
and in particular an ethoxylated octyl phenol which is sold under the tradename IGEPAL CA-<NUM>, is used. The non-ionic surfactant acts synergistically to enhance the action of the yeast fermentation supernatant.

These micro-bubbles and their highly reactive oxygen transfer capabilities thereby act as a broad-spectrum facilitator of vastly accelerated biological, and chemical reactions, in situ, within water, wastewater, and organic solids, far exceeding in speed and magnitude bacterial enzymatic types reactions available through either active enzymes, cultivated bacterial cultures, or existing surfactant products.

The new 'functionalized surfactant' composition produces micro-bubbles that are much smaller than the air bubbles produced mechanically by aeration systems. The most critical element to biologically degrading organic pollutants in wastewater systems, or purifying water, is the supply of oxygen that resides in the water column that supports the biological processes, or oxidation reactions of purification chemicals.

One, formation of micro-bubbles of the 'functionalized surfactant' with its highly reactive bubble shells, allows a reservoir of dissolved oxygen to be built up in the water column far exceeding the normal level according to Henry's Law of dissolved oxygen available through mechanical aeration systems.

Two, the highly reactive membrane bubble shells of the 'functionalized surfactant' micro-bubbles allow for a very enhanced oxygen transfer capability far exceeding micro-bubbles formed by the composition's blended surfactants.

Thus, the micro-bubbles resulting from the use of the compositions of this invention provides a foundation for improving biological and chemical reactions:
Availability of dissolved oxygen in water is critical limiting factor in the respiration required by microorganisms in consumption of organic pollutants through biological oxidation-reductions. Speed of biological reductions is a critical part of the design, hydraulic loading, quality of discharges, and operational efficiency of any wastewater treatment system.

The twin aspects of the invention's micro-bubbles; increased dissolved oxygen reservoirs, and enhanced oxygen transfer across membrane barriers, work synergistically in allowing a substantial positive expansion of the availability of dissolved oxygen to the microorganisms in their consumption of organic pollutants. The result is a much greater efficiency of wastewater biological treatment processes, or the oxidative capabilities of various chemicals oxidation agents, such as chlorine, sodium hypochlorite, ferric chloride, peroxide, etc..

Oxidative chemicals are used broadly to sanitize polluted water of organic contaminates to prevent biological growth from such organics within the water. Enhancing oxygen transfer and dissolved oxygen within the water column will allow a much greater efficiency of the chemical processes required in sanitizing the water, resulting in reduced consumption of the oxidizing chemical in the process.

In addition to enhancing the biological and chemical processes used in water purification and wastewater treatment, the same mechanisms of action have shown the capability to increase the speed of biological reductions in composting of organic waste solids and the rate of remediation of petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants.

The acceleration of composting and remediation rates is due to the enhanced oxygen transfer across cellular membranes of the organic solids. Efficacy of the new composition is enhanced when combined with an immediate neutralization of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), often characterized by noxious odor profiles.

A corollary attribute of enhanced oxygen transfer is the efficient solubilization of insoluble organic wastes components, such as fats, oils, and greases.

The ability of the compositions of the present invention to cleave ester bonds of fats, oils, and greases lies in the ability to allow a gas transfer across the membrane barriers of the molecular structure which thereby effects a breaking of the ester bonds linking glycerol and fatty acids. This is a form of hydrolysis that is pH neutral, rather than due to very high pH, or very low pH agents, or lipase enzymes.

Lipases are the specific group of enzymes generally attributed to the cleaving of the ester bonds, however, the compositions of the present invention initiates the same cleaving mechanism of breaking the ester bonds, by way of the oxygen transfer mechanism, i.e.; beta-oxidation.

This ability to affect a solubilization of these insoluble organic molecules, thereby releasing the organic components into a more readily digestible form for their consumption by microorganisms, works again synergistically with the benefits bestowed by increased oxygen availability, which aids the biological respiration reduction required in aerobic biological processes.

In cleaning of surfaces of fats, oils, and greases, the breaking of the ester bonds renders a much improved surface cleaning due to a substantial reduction in the residual waste components left on the surface and drain lines receiving the waste stream.

The compositions used in the present invention have been found to be useful in the following processes:.

The non-ionic surfactants suitable for use in the present invention include, but are not limited to, polyether non-ionic surfactants comprising fatty alcohols, alkyl phenols, fatty acids and fatty amines which have been ethoxylated; polyhydroxyl non-ionic (polyols) typically comprising sucrose esters, sorbital esters, alkyl glucosides and polyglycerol esters which may or may not be ethoxylated. In one embodiment of the present invention the nonionic surfactant is represented by one of the general formulae, below:.

H(OCH<NUM>CH<NUM>)xOC<NUM>H<NUM>R H(OCH<NUM>CH<NUM>)xOR<NUM> H(OCH<NUM>CH<NUM>)xOC(O)R<NUM>.

wherein x represents the number of moles of ethylene oxide added to an alkyl phenol and/or a fatty alcohol or a fatty acid, R represents a long chain alkyl group, e. a C<NUM> - C<NUM> normal- alkyl group and, R<NUM> represents a long chain aliphatic group, e.g. a C<NUM>-C<NUM> aliphatic group in particular, the nonionic surfactant is an ethoxylated octyl phenol or a dodecylalcohol or tridecylalcohol ethoxylate. The non-ionic surfactant acts synergistically to enhance the action of the yeast fermentation supernatant.

The fermentation supernatant product that is utilized in the composition used in the present invention may be prepared in a manner similar to that described in <CIT> Briefly, yeast, e.g. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is cultured in a medium comprising: a sugar source, such as sucrose from molasses, raw sugar, soybeans or mixtures thereof. A sugar concentration of about <NUM> to about <NUM>%, by weight; malt such as diastatic malt at a concentration of about <NUM> to about <NUM>%, by weight; a salt, such as a magnesium salt, and, in particular, magnesium sulfate, at a concentration of about <NUM> to about <NUM>%, by weight, and yeast are added to the medium to obtain a final concentration of about <NUM> to about <NUM>%, by weight, of yeast in the final culture mixture. The mixture is incubated at about from <NUM> degrees to about <NUM> degrees C until the fermentation is completed, i.e. until effervescence of the mixture has ceased, usually about <NUM> to about <NUM> days depending on the fermentation temperature. At the end of the fermentation the yeast fermentation composition is centrifuged to remove the "sludge" formed during the fermentation. The supernatant (about <NUM>%, by weight) may be mixed with preservative or stabilizing system, such as sodium benzoate (about <NUM>%, by weight), imidazolidinyl urea (about <NUM> %, by weight), diazolidinyl urea (about <NUM>%, by weight), calcium chloride (about <NUM>%, by weight) to form a fermentation intermediate. The pH is adjusted to from about <NUM> to about <NUM> with phosphoric acid. The composition of the fermentation intermediate is disclosed in Table I. (Note that the yeast supernatant is treated to eliminate any bacteria and/or active enzyme prior to use in the invention).

The fermentation intermediate may be prepared by filling a jacketed mixing kettle with the desired quantity of the fermentation supernatant. With moderate agitation the pH is adjusted to from about <NUM> to about <NUM> with phosphoric acid. With continuous agitation, sodium benzoate, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea and calcium chloride are added. The temperature of the mixture is then slowly raised to about <NUM> degrees C and the mixture is agitated continuously. The temperature is maintained at about <NUM> degrees C for about one hour to ensure that all the components of the mixture are dissolved. The mixture is then cooled to from about <NUM> degrees to about <NUM> degrees C.

The fermentation intermediate is then spray dried by methods known in the art to provide a fermentation supernatant product as a dry powder from the Saccharomyces cerevisiae culture. Importantly, said dry powder, unlike the liquid fermentation supernatant product prepared by the method disclosed in <CIT> is free of bacteria and the active enzymes found in the liquid product of <CIT>.

The fermentation intermediate (the liquid fermentation supernatant product) may be formulated into the composition (final composition) by mixing the spray dried fermentation intermediate (about <NUM>%, by weight, of the final composition) with, preservatives such as sodium benzoate, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea and mixtures thereof (about <NUM>%, by weight, of the final composition), a non-ionic surfactant such as ethoxylated octyl phenol or a dodecyl or tridecylalcohol ethoxylate (about <NUM>%, by weight, of the final composition) and the composition is brought to <NUM>% by the addition of water. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the composition as used comprises about <NUM>%, by weight, fermentation intermediate, about <NUM>%, by weight, sodium benzoate, about <NUM>%, by weight, imidazolidinyl urea, about <NUM>%, by weight, diazolidinyl urea, about <NUM>%, by weight, ethoxylated octyl phenol or tridecylalcohol ethoxylate (See Table II).

The method for preparing the final composition is as follows: A mixing kettle is charged with the desired volume of water at about <NUM> degrees to about <NUM> degrees C. Sodium benzoate, imidazolidinyl urea and diazolidinyl urea are added while the solution is agitated. The mixture is agitated until the solids are dispersed. Ethoxylated octyl phenol or dodecyl or tridecyl alcohol is then added and the agitation is continued. The fermentation intermediate is then added with gentle agitation. The pH is adjusted to about <NUM> to about <NUM> with phosphoric acid.

After mixing and pH adjustment, the final concentration of components in the final composition is summarized in Table III.

The final composition is diluted for use in a zone for treating organic materials in waste water as described below.

Alternatively, a yeast powder is available from commercial sources and said yeast powder may be combined with a nonionic surfactant to provide a composition suitable for the use of this invention. For example, TASTONE <NUM> (TT154-<NUM>) may be
formulated with the nonionic surfactant to provide a composition similar to the composition of Table III.

The method for preparing this composition is as follows: A mixing kettle is charged with the desired volume of water at about <NUM> degrees to about <NUM> degrees C. Tastone <NUM> is added while the solution is agitated. The mixture is agitated until the blend is uniform. In sequential steps Tergitol <NUM>-S-<NUM>, Tergitol <NUM>-S-<NUM>, Dowfax 2A1, Triton H66 and Integra <NUM> is added with the resulting blend agitated, after each addition, until uniform. The pH is then adjusted to <NUM> +/-<NUM> with Phosphoric acid. (Tergitol <NUM>-S-<NUM> and Tergitol <NUM>-S-<NUM> are nonionic surfactants. Dowfax 2A1 and Triton H66 are anionic surfactants. Integra <NUM> is a biocide.

After mixing and pH adjustment, the final concentration of components in the final composition is summarized in Table IV.

For use in treating waste water the final composition, i.e. the composition of TABLE III or IV, is diluted to as high as parts per million. For other uses it may desirable to dilute the final composition only as little as <NUM> in <NUM>. Those skilled in the art are aware that dilutions of such compositions can be used and that over-dilution for a particular purpose can result in a decreased rate of digestion and that under-dilution for a particular purpose increases cost without increasing the rate of degradation. Ideally, the final composition is diluted to optimize the rate of degradation of a particular waste and to minimize costs.

In use, the composition used in the present invention degrades pollutants, by enhancing the activity of bacteria commonly found in waste water treatment plants and, unexpectedly, increases the amount of biogas generated, while decreasing the volatile odorous compounds (VOC) and the volume and weight of the effluent from the treatment zone.

In an aerobic process, wherein the above surfactant and yeast fermentation supernatant composition is utilized to degrade pollutants in the presence of bacteria, DO is decreased as the bacteria metabolize the available oxygen. The nonionic surfactant and yeast fermentation supernatant product act synergistically to enhance the rate of degradation and increase DO. In such aerobic process, the surfactant, alone, or the yeast fermentation supernatant, alone, does not result in the enhanced activity observed when they are combined.

It has been surprisingly found that the compositions used in the present invention, even though lacking any active enzymes or bacteria, increase dissolved oxygen levels and oxygen transfer. The compositions used in the present invention provide increased dissolved oxygen levels in water bodies, over and above the levels obtained through mechanical means obtained with aerators and air diffusion systems, thus reducing the organic pollutants in said water body.

Moreover, as discussed below, the highly concentrated bio-nutrient concentration of the compositions of the present invention provides stimulation of the microbiological organisms present in said water body.

The combination of the nonionic surfactant and the bio-nutrients in the compositions used in the present invention results in a synergistic reduction in the rate of removal of organic contaminants from the water body which is treated with the composition used in the present invention.

Thus, the compositions used in the present invention are useful in treating contaminated water bodies and closed loop water systems, removing odors, cleaning fats, oils and greases, including petroleum hydrocarbons and breaking down biologically produced structural bio-films.

The mechanisms of action of the compositions of the present invention are directed at two synergistic and complimentary aspects of functionality; accelerated bio-catalysis of the molecular structures of organic wastes, particularly the more refractory lipids and the enhanced oxygen transfer into water.

These twin mechanisms work together in overcoming the limiting factors encountered in all waste water and water treatment applications where oxygen, through aeration, is utilized as the energy required by biological processes to reduce organic pollutants. These twin mechanisms are also relevant to effectively providing an alternative model to biological fouling and biofilm growth in closed loop water heat transfer systems, pulp and paper processing, sewage collection systems, drainage lines, and any water treatment system that utilizes a biocide to subdue the formation of biological fouling and contamination.

In an anaerobic process similar advantages are obtained, by treating the organic waste material with the combination of the above-described surfactant and yeast fermentation supernatant composition. Moreover, like the aerobic process, the enhanced degradation observed in use of the final composition, in an anaerobic process is proportional to the time that the final composition is in contact with the waste water to be treated. Therefore, it is desirable that the final composition is added to the waste water at the earliest opportunity. Preferably, the final composition is added upstream of the anaerobic or aerobic zone of the waste water treatment plant. The final composition may be added to the waste water by continuously pumping the final composition into the waste water or it may be added in batches as desired to reach the desired dilution of the final composition in the anaerobic or the aerobic zone.

While not wishing to be bound by theory, is believed that the waste water stream to be treated benefits from the bio-nutrients present in the yeast fermentation supernatant by feeding the bacteria already present in the waste water to thereby increase the concentration of said bacteria and/or otherwise enhancing the activity of said bacteria by increasing the amount of enzyme generated by the already present bacteria. Thus, the yeast fermentation supernatant does not require the presence of active enzyme to carry out the process but rather the active enzyme of interest is generated in-situ.

The fermentation supernatant may comprise the following bio-nutrients in the following amounts:
Vitamins mg/<NUM>.

Thus, the compositions used in this invention comprises an enzyme-free fermentation supernatant product from a yeast culture, e.g. a Saccharomyces cerevisiae culture, in combination with a nonionic surfactant, wherein said supernatant product comprises sufficient types and amounts of bio-nutrients to generate the bacteria necessary to treat the waste water stream in situ. For example, said composition may comprise:.

Preferably, said composition may comprise:.

The above fermentation supernatant product, i.e. the spray dried powder from the Saccharomyces cerevisiae culture of TABLE III or Tastone <NUM> may comprise vitamins, minerals and amino acids as follows:.

The invention is further illustrated by the following examples which are illustrative of a specific mode of practicing the invention and are not intended as limiting the scope of the claims.

The process may be exemplified by the treatment of the discharge from a food manufacturing plant. Two sequential anaerobic bioreactors are in line subsequent to the influent wet well(s) where the discharge from the food manufacturing is collected.

The flow rate is <NUM> million gallons per day. In the anaerobic bioreactors, the flow from the wet wells is contacted with the composition described in Table III, above. The ratio of the flow of waste water and the composition of Table III varies from <NUM>% to <NUM>%. After treatment in the anaerobic zone, the liquid effluent from the bioreactors is led to one or more aeration lagoons for further treatment. The gaseous effluent from the bioreactors is collected and either flared or recycled (and may be treated e.g. to increase its BTU value, prior to recycling) for use in providing heat to the bioreactors and or the food processing boiler used to generate heat steam for the manufacturing process.

It was found that treatment of the influent to the bioreactor with the composition of Table III increases the amount of biogas, i.e. Biomethane, produced. This is a surprising result because the composition of Table III lacks active enzyme. In addition the sludge volume of the effluent is reduced.

In a separate example, the waste water from a large cheese manufacturing plant is treated in an anaerobic digestion zone with the composition of Table III, above, at a ratio of from <NUM> to <NUM> composition of Table III influent. The Average residence time in the anaerobic zone is <NUM> to <NUM> Day depended on influent flows. The temperature during said treatment is from about <NUM> to about <NUM> degrees F. In this trial, the removal rate of the TCOD is increased. This increase is surprising because the composition of Table III lacks active enzyme.

The process is also utilized in the treatment of sewage sludge from a municipal source. In this trial the influent to the anaerobic zone of a municipal sewage treating plant is contacted with the composition of Table III, above, at a ratio of I <NUM> to <NUM> ESP litres / <NUM> litres (. <NUM> ESP Gals/<NUM> gal) Primary Feed Sludge and a temperature of <NUM> to <NUM> (<NUM> To <NUM>° F). This residence time of the mixture of sewage sludge and the final composition in the anaerobic zone is <NUM> to <NUM> Days depended on Influent primary feed loading to the anaerobic digester. A typical Municipal Waste Water Treatment Facility processes <NUM>,<NUM> litres per day (<NUM> gallons per day) of wastewater for every person served. Approximately <NUM> cubic meters (m<NUM>) (<NUM> cubic foot (ft<NUM>)) of digester gas is produced by an anaerobic digester per person per day. The heating value of the biogas produced by anaerobic digesters is approximately <NUM> joules per cubic meter (J/m<NUM>) (<NUM> British thermal units per cubic foot (Btu/ft<NUM>)).

In the present example, the following results are obtained:.

These results are surprising because the composition of Table III lacks active enzyme. The processes described in Examples <NUM> through <NUM>, above, may be repeated with the Composition of TABLE IV and similar results are obtained.

The present invention is not to be limited in scope by the exemplified embodiments, which are only intended as illustrations of specific aspects of the invention. For example, while not specifically described herein, the biogas generated from the process of this invention may be used in fuel cell applications.

The Northeast Regional Biomass Program, in conjunction with XENERGY, Inc. , has completed a comprehensive study examining the feasibility of utilizing bio-based fuels with stationary fuel cell technologies. The findings show that biomass-based fuel cell systems, from a technical perspective, are capable of providing a source of clean, renewable electricity over the long-term. In addition, fuel cells have proven to be successful in this application, in service around the world at several landfills and wastewater treatment plants (as well as breweries and farms), generating power from the methane gas they produce, and reducing harmful emissions in the process.

Fuel cells have been operated at landfills and wastewater treatment facilities all over the United States and in Asia. For example, Connecticut's Groton Landfill has been producing <NUM>,<NUM> kWh of electricity a year, with a continuous net fuel cell output of <NUM> kW and UTC Power's (formerly IFC/ONSI) fuel cell system at the Yonkers wastewater treatment plant in New York, produces over <NUM> million kWh of electricity per year, while releasing only <NUM> pounds of emissions into the environment. In Portland, Oregon, a fuel cell produces power using anaerobic digester gas from a wastewater facility, which generates <NUM> million kWh of electricity per year, substantially reducing the treatment plant's electricity bills.

Claim 1:
Use of an aqueous bio-catalytic composition in treating a contaminated water, the bio-catalytic composition comprising a fermentation supernatant which comprises micronutrients and lacks active enzymes, the fermentation supernatant being from a yeast culture, and one or more non-ionic surfactants,
wherein the bio-catalytic composition lacks any active enzymes, and
wherein the yeast culture is a Saccharomyces cerevisiae culture.