Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for removing and recovering precious metals, such as platinum-group metals (PGMs), including palladium, from wastewater and waste streams. The invention also relates to systems and methods for recycling the recovered precious metals for catalytic applications.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for installing a groundwater monitoring well inside a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) trench including excavating a PRB trench, installing a trench side-wall support, positioning a monitoring well borehole, installing an outer installation casing for pre-burying the monitoring well, installing a monitoring well positioning bracket, installing a monitoring well casing, installing monitoring well filter packs and seal materials, filling the trench with PRB media and capping with a covering soil layer, removing the outer installation casing, removing the trench side-wall support, completing the monitoring well with a wellhead, and conducting well development.

Abstract: A swimming pool filter element capable of automatically dosing. The swimming pool filter element includes a folding filter element and a doser filter element. The folding filter element includes a filter membrane and end covers, the end covers each having an upper end cover and a lower end cover. A wrench cover is arranged at the upper end of the upper end cover. The doser filter element includes a doser end cover, a doser lining and a doser shell. The doser filter element is added into the folding filter element, so that a water flow needing to be filtered firstly passes through the filter membrane of the folding filter element, solid large-particle impurities are filtered out, then the water flow enters the doser filter element and makes contact with sterilization tablets placed in the doser filter element, the tablets are dissolved, and finally water with dissolved tablets is discharged into a swimming pool.

Abstract: A process for enhanced anaerobic digestion of sludge by alcoholization of food waste, comprising steps of: (1) ethanol prefermentation of food waste—feeding the food waste having been crushed into a uniform grain size into an ethanol production reactor, where the food waste is subjected to rapid and efficient anaerobic fermentation activated by addition of yeast and pH adjustment to produce ethanol and obtain a fermentation broth and a fermentation residue; (2) sludge pretreatment—pretreating the sludge after mixing with the fermentation residue; and (3) methanogenesis of anaerobic digestion—subjecting products resulting from the sludge pretreatment to be mixed with the fermentation broth and then to methanogenesis of anaerobic digestion in a methane production reactor. With this process, the sludge and the food waste can be treated efficiently via multi-phase reactions, and the resource recovery and biogas quality can be enhanced.

Abstract: Devices, systems and methods for using photosynthetic biomass to purify water, reduce indoor air pollution, remove greenhouse gases including CO2 from outdoor atmospheric air, and produce biofuel, food products, and fertilizer are provided herein. Also provided herein are systems and methods for enhancing growth of a photosynthetic biomass in a greenhouse.

Abstract: A multi-stage floatation dispenser for carrying a ballast, which may be a non-water consumable dispersant and at least one water consumable dispersant wherein the weight of the water consumable dispersant decreases as the water consumable dispersant is consumed with the weight of water consumable dispersant and the non-water consumable coordinated with the flotation capacity of a flotation dispenser to provide for either a two stage or a three stage dispensing mode.

Abstract: A sterilizer for an aquarium includes a pump for sucking water in an aquarium and a filtering member for filtering the water. The pump includes an inlet from which the water in the aquarium is sucked. The filtering member is connected to the underside of the pump and includes an outlet through which the filtered water flows back into the aquarium. Multiple reflectors are connected to the periphery of the filtering member, and a coat is mounted to outside of the filtering member and covers the reflectors. Multiple ultraviolet sterilizer bulbs are located in the filtering member so as to treat the water sucked from the pump. A cotton sleeve is mounted to the pump and located around the inlet to remove debris and grease.

Abstract: The present application discloses a method of binding a metal ion in water. The method comprises contacting the water with a fraction of dissolved organic material (DOM) to form a complex between the DOM fraction and the metal ion; and optionally separating the complex from the water. The present application also discloses a use of DOM for binding a metal ion in water.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing PHA, which is capable of suppressing the cost of overall production equipment including a waste water treatment process in production of PHA using microorganisms. Provided is a method including: a production step of purifying or molding polyhydroxyalkanoic acid biosynthesized in bacterial cells of a microorganism; a discharge step of discharging waste water containing nitrogen-containing impurities from the production step; and a nitrogen removal step of biologically treating the waste water to remove the nitrogen-containing impurities from the waste water. In the method, the residual ratio of the polyhydroxyalkanoic acid in the production step is 99% by weight or less, and the waste water that is biologically treated in the nitrogen removal step contains the polyhydroxyalkanoic acid in addition to the nitrogen-containing impurities.

Abstract: A filter well mountable dispenser holder securable within a hot tub filter well with the dispenser holder supporting replaceable dispersant containing dispensing cartridges positionable within a circulating flow of water through the filter well to thereby release dispersants therefrom without preventing the circulating flow of water from passing through the filter media proximate the dispensing cartridges.

Abstract: [Problem] A carrier for retaining anammox bacteria, an anammox bacteria-adhered particle, and a wastewater treatment apparatus are provided that can remarkably reduce the start-up period for obtaining a nitrogen removal speed of 1 kg-N/m3/day. [Solution] A carrier for retaining anammox bacteria includes carbon particles. The carbon particles are desirably graphite particles, particularly isotropic graphite particles. The carbon particles desirably have a zeta potential of ?35 mV to 0 mV and an average particle size of 2 ?m to 1000 ?m.

Abstract: A method for optimizing filtration in an aquaculture system. The method for optimizing filtration includes, taking at least one sample of matter from an aquaculture system, defining at least one predetermined characteristic to test the sample of matter for, testing the at least one sample of matter, determining if the at least one predetermined characteristic is present within the sample, modifying resource distribution within the aquaculture system, taking at least two samples of matter within the aquaculture system, re-defining at least one predetermined characteristic to test the at least two samples of matter for, testing the at least two samples of matter, determining if the re-defined at least one predetermined characteristic is present within the at least two samples of matter and ensuring the filtration system will retain a state of optimization.

Abstract: A method of processing enhanced biosolids from a wastewater treatment plant to produce an output mixture. The method includes providing one or more volumes of an input mixture that has an input mixture viscosity. The input mixture includes the enhanced biosolids, which have been subjected to shear forces and mixed in a mixing vessel. The enhanced biosolids are partially hydrolyzed biosolids with an input solids content between 4% and 16% by weight of the input mixture. The input mixture also includes sufficient process liquid to result in the output mixture having an output solids content between 3% and 13% by weight of the output mixture. The input mixture is stored in a storage vessel in which the input mixture is subjected to anaerobic conditions and hydrolysis over a predetermined tie period, to form the output mixture having an output mixture viscosity that is less than the input mixture viscosity.

Abstract: The Invention discloses an ecological remediation method for controlling sulphur pollution in black and odorous sludge of rivers. Firstly, the sludge from pollution layer of the rivers will be dredged and stacked on the banksides with slope protection built along the outer edge of the sludge storage site; then innocent pretreatment will be conducted for the sludge. Specific steps comprise solarization and ploughing, and mixed ameliorant of certain proportion will be added for modification between first solarization and intermittent ploughing. Then, large emergent aquatic plants will be planted on the stacked sludge after pretreatment. The technical method provided by the Invention may control the release of acid-volatile sulfide in the contaminated sludge on one hand and reduce concentration of volatile organic sulfide in the waters on the other hand.

Abstract: A two-part dispensing device for a pool having a dispensing saddle with a static port therein for continual delivery of a first dispersant and a hold for floatingly supporting itself and an exchangeable dispensing pod therein with the dispensing pod having a dynamic port and a static port for a continual delivery of a dispersant wherein the static port delivery of a dispersant maintains the pool at a safe level when there is no human bather load on the pool and the condition of the disperant in the dispensing pod can be determined by the orientation of the dispensing saddle and the dispensing pod in the pool.

Abstract: Provided are: a water treatment method that includes at least a denitrification step for denitrifying water to be treated with a denitrifying bacterium in the presence of a hydrogen donor, wherein the denitrification activity of the denitrifying bacterium can be maintained at a high level and thus the treatment speed can be increased; and a water treatment apparatus. The water treatment method includes at least a denitrification step for passing water to be treated through a biological treatment tank and denitrifying the same with a heterotrophic denitrifying bacterium in the presence of a hydrogen donor, wherein: molybdenum is added to the water to be treated to give a concentration of 0.01-1.0 mgMo/gN; a carrier is added to the biological treatment tank; and the nitrogen load to the carrier is controlled to 1.6 kgN/(m3-carrier·d) or greater.

Abstract: A method of maintaining a body of water in a usable condition through a comparative measurements of total chlorine and free chlorine in the body of water to determine if a synergistic chemical combination exists within the body of water that can effect the amount of chlorine to add to the body of water.

Abstract: Water treatment structures may have at least a first geotextile fabric layer; a second geotextile fabric layer; a third geotextile fabric layer; a first filler layer with plastic particles, arranged between the first and second geotextile fabric layers; and a second filler layer with plastic particles, arranged between the second and third geotextile fabric layers, wherein the geotextile fabric layers and the filler layers are within a housing, and wherein the structure is configured such that contaminated water proceeds sequentially through the first geotextile fabric layer, the first filler layer, the second geotextile fabric layer, the second filler layer, and the third geotextile fabric layer. Methods of treating wastewater may involve passing wastewater, after optional oxygenating and pre-filtering, through such alternating layers of geotextile, preferably nonwoven, and polymer particles.

Abstract: A continuous flow wastewater treatment system is disclosed. The system can include a main processing circuit comprising an anoxic entry zone and an aerobic exit zone. The system can include a granule-producing sidestream incubator. The sidestream incubator can include an inlet that receives a first portion of return activated sludge (RAS) processed by the aerobic exit zone, a sidestream anoxic zone, and a sidestream anaerobic zone that cooperate to process the first portion of RAS. The sidestream incubator can include an outlet that delivers the processed first portion of RAS to the anoxic entry zone. The sidestream incubator can include a RAS bypass pathway that bypasses the granule-producing sidestream incubator to deliver a second portion of RAS processed by the aerobic exit zone to the anoxic entry zone. In some embodiments, the RAS and/or other fermentate can be step-fed into the sidestream incubator.

Abstract: Anaerobic digestion apparatus comprises a first chamber for retaining organic matter before and/or during anaerobic digestion and a second chamber for retaining organic matter during anaerobic digestion. The anaerobic digestion apparatus is configured to refrigerate or heat the first chamber to suppress methanogenesis in the first chamber. The anaerobic digestion apparatus comprises a controller programmed to regulate the anaerobic digestion process and to thereby reduce system perturbations. The flow of organic matter to the second chamber where methanogenesis is regulated. There is disclosed an inoculum for anaerobic digestion comprising Acetobacterium woodii and Methanosaeta concilii.