Abstract: A method of treating a suspension of particles in a fluid including the steps of promoting flocculation of the particles, and dewatering the flocs to form a cake with a solids content, an improvement including the step of exposing the suspension to chemicals of the protein family. The suspension can include a suspension of biological sludge in water. The suspension can be a suspension of non biological material.

Abstract: A screen decanter for screening solids from waste water in a waste water treatment system comprising a drain manifold and a plurality of cylindrical cartridges mounted to the drain manifold, each of the cylindrical cartridges having an outer screen defining a cavity. Each of the cartridges includes a drain standpipe disposed within the cavity in communication with the drain manifold. Each drain standpipe includes a plurality of patterned openings arranged in at least one row along the length and partial circumference thereof and preferably comprises three rows of patterned openings, each row being disposed at a 120° rotational angle from the adjacent row of patterned openings. Each drain standpipe is disposed at a 30° rotational angle from its neighbor drain standpipe such that no row of patterned openings in any of said drain standpipes faces directly at any other row of patterned openings in any other drain standpipe.

Abstract: A method for preparing an adsorbent for removing organic dyes from water includes providing a volume of egg white, adding a volume of formaldehyde to the volume of egg white to form a mixture, maintaining a pH of the mixture at about pH 8.5, stirring the mixture until a viscous product is formed, and washing and drying the product to provide the adsorbent.

Abstract: Some waters have high sulfate contents, such as acid mine drainage (AMD), which makes them unsuitable for use in fracturing fluids and difficult to dispose. Such waters may be treated with a solution of barium chloride to react with the sulfate ion of the sulfates and precipitate the sulfates as barium sulfate. Not all of the sulfates needs to be removed for the reclaimed water to be useful in formulating a fracturing fluid. The by-product of the reaction is almost pure barium sulfate, which is an inert, commercially valuable material that may be used in drilling fluids, paint and other industries.

Abstract: An oil recovery process which utilizes chemical precipitation and complexation reactions to remove dissolved organics and silica from waste water streams. The process produces brine suitable for deep well injection and solids suitable for Class II landfill. The treatment process can be used in combination with a concentrator and in addition to producing brine suitable for deep well injection and solids suitable for Class II landfill, the concentrator also produces a clean water stream for reuse. By including a crystallizer for the brine processing the system has zero liquid discharge.

Abstract: A method for preparing an adsorbent for removing organic dyes from water includes reacting egg white with hydrochloric acid. The reaction can include mixing egg white with water to form a solution, and adding the acid to the solution to form a precipitate. The precipitate can be filtered, washed, and dried to provide the adsorbent. The adsorbent can be contacted with wastewater contaminated with organic pollutants to remove the organic pollutants from the wastewater. The organic pollutants can include p-nitrophenol.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and a method for cell separation via a filter, with a powder bag which can be arranged in a recirculation circuit and is partly filled with a pulverulent filter aid and to which a cell solution containing the cells to be separated can be delivered from a bioreactor via a pump arranged in the recirculation circuit, the bioreactor, which has an agitator, being arranged in the recirculation circuit, and, when the recirculation circuit is interrupted, the bioreactor being connectable to the filter.

Abstract: A system and method for removing from an aqueous stream impurities such as grit, particulates, floating debris, suspended solids, turbidity, bacteria, fecal coliform, oil, grease, color, and the like, and for treating an unacceptable biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, and/or dissolved oxygen by utilizing a treatment system positioned partially in a channel adapted to a flow of the aqueous stream. The treatment system comprises a containment zone for containing the aqueous stream for treatment by at least one of traveling or stationary screen filtration, aeration, anaerobic and/or aerobic digestion, clarification, media filtration, chemical addition, disinfection, pH adjustment, particulate removal, and/or the like. A partition wall is provided to bypass untreated water such as storm water. After passing untreated waste water through the treatment zone, the treated aqueous stream may be recycled for further use or discharged to its desired destination, such as a lake, river, or ocean.

Abstract: In the present invention nanotubes-based dye-adsorbent powder is used for adsorption and decomposition of synthetic dye under dark-condition without the use of any external power-source such as the applied potential-difference, microwave, ultrasonicator, and others to save the energy consumption, which results in a complete dye-decomposition on the powder-surface. The surface-cleaned dye-adsorbent powder has very high specific surface-area and dye-adsorption capacity comparable with those of the original dye-adsorbent powder and can be recycled for the next cycles of dye-adsorption and dye-decomposition under the dark-condition. In the present method, the nanotubes-based dye-adsorbent powder is stirred under the dark-condition in an aqueous dye solution containing a strong oxidizer to get simultaneous dye-adsorption and dye-decomposition on the powder-surface, or getting dye adsorption in one solution and dye decomposition in a separate solution by said adsorbent powder under dark condition.

Abstract: Systems and methods for removing organic contaminants from water may be used, for example, to treat produced water from a steam assisted heavy oil recovery operation. The treated produced water may be re-used to create steam. Alternatively, the produced water may be a blowdown stream treated to facilitate further treatment in a thermal crystallizer. The treatments may include pH adjustment or separating de-solubilized organics or both. Other treatments may include one or more of oxidation, sorption and biological treatments. The treatments may be used alone or in various combinations. One exemplary combination includes reducing the pH of produced water, separating de-solubilized organics from the produced water, and oxidizing the produced water or contacting the produced water with activated carbon.

Abstract: An apparatus for extracorporeal treatment of blood (1) comprising a treatment unit (2), a blood withdrawal line (6), a blood return line (7), a preparation line (19) and a spent dialysate line (13). A control unit (10) is configured to calculate values of a parameter relating to treatment effectiveness based on measures of the conductivity in the spent dialysate line (13) subsequent to an alternating conductivity perturbation continuously imposed on the preparation line (19) of fresh dialysis fluid.

Abstract: In alternative embodiments, the invention provides processes and methods for the recovery or the removal of the so-called “Minor Elements” consisting of iron, aluminum and magnesium (expressed as oxides), from wet-process phosphoric acid using a continuous ion exchange approach. In alternative embodiments, use of processes and methods of the invention allows for the reduction of these Minor Elements with minimal phosphate losses and dilution in order to produce a phosphoric acid that is suitable for the production of fertilizer products such as world-class diammonium phosphate (DAP), merchant-grade phosphoric acid, superphosphoric acid, and other phosphoric acid products. Further, use of the invention would allow the use of lower grade phosphate rock or ore, which would greatly expand the potential phosphate rock reserve base for phosphate mining activities, and allow for better overall utilization of resources from a given developed mine site.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically controlling aeration and mixing processes are disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention aims at providing a method for effluent treatment, which enables the separation and recovery of a high-density and high-concentration aluminum sediment from waste water that is discharged in the smelting of a nickel oxide ore and contains aluminum ions. In the present invention, an alkali and an iron-containing solid are added to waste water containing aluminum ions to form a slurry, and the slurry is allowed to stand to perform solid-liquid separation, whereby an aluminum sediment and an effluent is formed.

Abstract: A membrane supported biofilm apparatus has a plurality of hollow fiber gas permeable membranes in a tank containing water to be treated. A biofilm supported on the membranes occupies between about 40% and 80% of the volume of water to be treated in a reactor. Wastewater treatment processes are described. A process to denitrify water or treat oxidized contaminants comprises introducing hydrogen into an inner volume of the membranes to grow autotrophic organisms in the biofilm near the membrane and heterotrophic organism near the water. Another process is operated as a biomass concentration of at least 10 g/L and up to about 40 g/L to maintain a biofilm having a surface area of over 1000 square meters per cubic meter of tank volume. A hybrid process has suspended biomass and a membrane supported biofilm.

Abstract: Methods and systems for acid regeneration of ion exchange resins are disclosed. Acid resins designed for use in a variety of cleaning application using a water source use a treated, softened, acidic water source according to the invention. Various methods of using the softened acidic water generated by acid regenerate-able ion exchange resins are disclosed to beneficially reduce spotting, filming and scale buildup on treated surfaces, reduce and/or eliminate the need for polymers, threshold reagents and/or rinse aids, and using protons generated in the acidic water effluent for triggering events useful in various cleaning applications.

Abstract: The invention provides methods that use particles comprising a polymer to absorb and recover oil. The methods can be used for oil spill cleanup, oil recovery, extraction of oil from an oil-water emulsion, etc. In some embodiments, the particles are distributed to an oil spill site or another environment where oil needs to be separated. The particles may be retrieved after they have absorbed oil from the oil spill site. The oil may then be retrieved from the particles by compressing the particles or via other suitable oil removal methods.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for remediation of contaminated materials, such as contaminated water, are provided. The composition may include at least one fermentable compound and at least one metal or metal containing compound to promote conversion of the contaminants into non-toxic substances through abiotic and/or biotic processes. The composition may further include sulfur or a sulfur containing compound, and/or microorganisms or derivative thereof.

Abstract: A method for wastewater treatment, in a continuous flow system, and a plant for wastewater treatment, to achieve high level reduction of biogenic nitrate compounds are provided. Subjecting a mixture of active sludge and wastewater to vacuum degassing on the mixture that has been subject to earlier nitrification, but not introduced in a recirculation-return connection, and constituting the outflow from a nitrification volume, before degassing, is subject to additional denitrification. The mixture of active sludge and wastewater, due to the additional denitrification step, may be free of carbon carried along with wastewater. An external source of readily available carbon is introduced, and further deepened nitrates removal is performed. After wastewater is degassed, treatment continues within a gaseous nitrogen undersaturated aqueous zone of a secondary sedimentation tank.

Abstract: [Object] To provide a method of purifying nucleic acids where the operation is simple and the nucleic acids can be extracted in a short time with high efficiency. [Solving Means] A method of purifying nucleic acids including the step of adsorbing substances in a sample containing nucleic acids with an ion exchange resin 10 including a positive ion exchange resin and a negative ion exchange resin. As the positive ion exchange resin, a first positive ion exchange resin and a second positive ion exchange resin having an exclusion limit molecular weight lower than that of the first positive ion exchange resin may be used.