Technology Description

The technology assessed in this Quicklook Report is a method of rapidly treating large amounts of wastewater containing human fecal matter to reduce BOD and COD levels (measures of water purity and safety which stand for Biochemical Oxygen Demand, and Chemical Oxygen Demand) to acceptable amounts (BOD of 10, and COD of 10). Most current treatments require 24 hours to complete, but the innovator has developed a method that can significantly reduce the time. It also reduces the amount of sludge to be removed at the end of the process by up to 75%.

According to Andy Noah, of Noah Water Treatment, in the treatment of waste water, there are two general technologies that are available for wastewater treatment. The first is called Aerobic and this treatment infuses oxygen into the environment and encourages the rapid growth of naturally occurring bacteria in the organic waste to consume much of the waste. The system tends to be fast, and does not produce methane as a byproduct. As a downside, the blowers required to aerate the water require large amounts of electricity, and carbon dioxide is released as a by-product. According to Dr. Malina with The University of Texas at Austin, the water generally requires post treatment for filtration and chlorination to further reduce BOD levels and remove odors resulting from treatment.

The second type of treatment is called Anaerobic and in this approach specific bacteria are introduced into the system and these bacteria, in the absence of oxygen, slowly digest the waste over a few days, but also produce a noxious gas, methane, as a byproduct. Methane can be treated as a biogas and burned to create electrical or heating energy in some systems or is just released into the air in others. However, the system is very low cost, and does not require infusing bacteria into the system on regular intervals.

The inventor's technology is a hybrid between the two approaches. It is an aerobic solution meaning it requires oxygenation, but it also adds specific bacteria to the system. The bacteria work to quickly digest more solids than other methods. The process does not produce methane gas as the system is oxygenated, and the BOD levels are much lower, reducing the need for post treatment filtration and chlorination.

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