RFICs

PRODUCTS

  • PRI-TECH
    PRI-CEPT® Phosphorus Removal From Wastewater

    When applied to plant influents, hydrogen peroxide destroys dissolved and/or total sulfide that otherwise scavenges Fe3+ added for CEPT and/or chemical phosphorus removal from wastewater. The foundational aspect of this PRI-TECH application (called PRI-CEPT) is that one lb of total sulfide theoretically consumes 3.5 lbs Fe3+ and thus represents an additional cost of $2 – 3 per lb influent sulfide.

  • Ecolab - cleanroom
    Optimize Your Contamination Control Strategy

    An optimized and effective Contamination Control Strategy (CCS) helps you organization spend less time cleaning and more time manufacturing. Ecolab Life Sciences experts are dedicated to helping you drive the best possible strategy to meet and exceed the GMO Annex 1 CCS requirements.

  • Rohde - NGM200
    R&S NGM200 Power Supply Series

    The NGM200 power supplies are perfect for challenging applications. Their two-quadrant architecture allows them to function both as a source and a sink to simulate batteries and loads.

  • rs-smw200a
    R&S® SMW200A

    The R&S®SMW200A is a versatile and powerful signal generator designed to meet the diverse performance and functionality requirements of modern testing applications.

  • Syringes GettyImages-171324030
    Plastic Syringe Assembly

    We cover the pre-assembly of a plastic syringe with cannula, as well as the final assembly of multi-component syringes (4-8 or 8-12 components).

WHITE PAPERS AND CASE STUDIES

NEWS

ABOUT

 

About Nutrient Removal

Nutrient removal from wastewater consists of treating wastewater to remove nitrogen and phosphorus before it reenters natural waterways. High levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in wastewater cause eutrophication, a process where excess nutrients stimulate excessive plant growth such as algal blooms and cyanobacteria. The decomposition of the algae by bacteria uses up the oxygen in the water causing other organisms to die. This creates more organic matter for the bacteria to decompose. In addition, some algal blooms can produce toxins that contaminate drinking water supplies.

As authorized by the Clean Water Act, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program regulates point sources, such as municipal wastewater treatment plants, that discharge pollutants as effluent into the waters of the United States. In recent years, many of the States’ environmental bodies have lowered nutrient limits to arrest eutrophication. Maryland’s effort to protect the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries is perhaps the most notable example of nutrient removal in the US. Nutrient removal continues to be a growing area of focus for wastewater treatment throughout the world.   

The removal of nitrogen and phosphorus require different nutrient removal processes. To remove nitrogen, the nitrogen is oxidized from ammonia to become nitrate through a process called nitrification. This process is then followed by denitrification where the nitrate is reduced to nitrogen gas which is released to the atmosphere and removed from the wastewater.

Nitrification is a two-step aerobic process which typically takes place in aeration tanks. Denitrification requires anoxic conditions to encourage the appropriate biological conditions to form. The activated sludge process is often used to reduce nitrate to nitrogen gas in anoxic or denitrification tanks.

Phosphorus can be removed biologically using polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) which accumulate large quantities of phosphorus within their cells and separate it from treated water. Phosphorus removal can also be achieved by chemical removal. Once removed as sludge, phosphorus may be stored in a land fill. However, many municipalities and treatment facilities are looking to resell the biosolids for use in fertilizer.