What you need to do is get samples of what is appearing in the Waste water. I have been trying to find something for quite a while. So far, all I can find to do is to take samples and send them to a company which deals in Microbes. I work with Ecozyme out of Troup, TX. They have been helping me inoculate Hog Lagoons to control hog waste sludge. They work with at least 300 species of microbes however there are Trillions of different species out there and over 95% of them have never been evaluated and listed them as to their possible use for us humans. We do know that over 95% if all microbes are beneficial to Humans. Since the Hog industry uses huge amounts of Antibiotics, we are suspicious that these Antibiotics (showing up in the Hog Lagoons) are interfering with our microbes and killing them or weakening them. therefore our microbes are not eliminating the sludge like we expect them to do. But, for sure there are certain species of Microbes which can break up these pharmaceuticals, we just need to find them. Until them, you (we) are drinking the water from these WWTPs with all those perscription drugs in that water. I decided to go with digging a well and eliminating not only these drugs but also (UGH) Chlorine and Flouride.
Published by Joseph Massidda, Partner at Cellulose Solutions
What you need to do is get samples of what is appearing in the Waste water. I have been trying to find something for quite a while. So far, all I can find to do is to take samples and send them to a company which deals in Microbes. I work with Ecozyme out of Troup, TX. They have been helping me inoculate Hog Lagoons to control hog waste sludge. They work with at least 300 species of microbes however there are Trillions of different species out there and over 95% of them have never been evaluated and listed them as to their possible use for us humans. We do know that over 95% if all microbes are beneficial to Humans.
Since the Hog industry uses huge amounts of Antibiotics, we are suspicious that these Antibiotics (showing up in the Hog Lagoons) are interfering with our microbes and killing them or weakening them. therefore our microbes are not eliminating the sludge like we expect them to do. But, for sure there are certain species of Microbes which can break up these pharmaceuticals, we just need to find them. Until them, you (we) are drinking the water from these WWTPs with all those perscription drugs in that water. I decided to go with digging a well and eliminating not only these drugs but also (UGH) Chlorine and Flouride.
1 Comment
The chemicals you are referring to are complex and not suited to biooxidation. While it is believed that some attached growth biological treatment systems, constructed wetlands for example, have an edge over conventional activated sludge suspended growth systems, the key is likely adsorbing the contaminant within a biological matrix which is held long enough to effect degradation. For this reason membrane bioreactors, with sludge retention times typically of 60 to 90 or more days, are claimed to be superior than conventional activated sludge processes at removing emerging contaminants. But the research is inconclusive. The majority of the contaminant reduction is likely adsorption to biomass and removal with waste biosolids. In effect we are primarily partitioning the contaminants from the liquid into the solid phase. I am aware of limited research into the use of biochar for adsorption followed by re-charing for organic contaminant destruction. Reverse osmosis is also just a liquid-liquid partitioning approach which results in a more concentrated waste stream requiring treatment and/or disposal.
Published by Troy Vassos, Senior Environmental Engineer