Abstract: Method and apparatus for identifying a filamentous organism of the type present in a biological waste water treatment process. A magnified image of an unstained filamentous organism is obtained (122, 124), and initially evaluated for the presence or absence of attached growth and the presence or absence of sulfur granules (142). A computer routine (140) resident in a computer workstation (104) is executed which, for each combination of the presence or of attached growth and the presence or absence of sulfur granules, provides a separate user interactive search tree (144, 146, 148, 150), each search tree leading to a different set of possible types of filamentous organism.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process and apparatus for autothermal aerobic thermophilic treatment of high strength and high temperature wastes. Waste material is injected into a reactor vessel (12) having thermophilic microorganisms to form a volume of bulk liquid in the reactor vessel (12). An oxygen-containing gas is also injected into the reactor vessel (12) for aerobic treatment of the waste material. The oxidation-reduction potential and temperature of the reactor bulk liquid are monitored and at least a selected one of the rate of injection of the oxygen-containing gas, the oxygen-transfer efficiency of the oxygen-containing gas and the volume of bulk liquid in the reactor (12) are adjusted in response to the oxidation-reduction potential and temperature of the reactor bulk liquid to maintain the temperature of the reactor bulk liquid within a predetermined range.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process and apparatus for autothermal aerobic thermophilic treatment of high strength and high temperature wastes. In accordance with the process of the present invention, waste material is injected into a reactor vessel having thermophilic microorganisms to form a volume of bulk liquid in the reactor vessel. An oxygen-containing gas is also injected into the reactor vessel in such manner as to transfer oxygen into the reactor bulk liquid for utilization by the thermophilic microorganisms in aerobic treatment of the waste material.

Abstract: A biochemically enhanced hybrid anaerobic reactor (BEHAR) system has been developed for treatment of high strength industrial wastewaters. The process is designed and operated based on specific criteria developed around critical biochemical and microbiological principles of the facultative and anaerobic microorganisms involved in anaerobic treatment. Biological kinetic relationships developed by the inventor for substrate removal, methane gas production, and biogas quality control as a function of the mass substrate loading rate are used for designing and operating the BEHAR process. A specific formulation of biological growth micronutrients has been developed for enhancing the anaerobic treatment process. Ferric chloride, one of the chemicals used as a micronutrient, is also utilized for sulfide toxicity control, biogas cleaning without scrubbing, and odor control.