Bacteria prefer warmer temperatures and they do not reduce BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) or reproduce as effectively during the colder months of the year. Due to this, mill upsets are more problematic during the winter. While temperature is one of the eight growth pressures that affect your Wastewater Treatment, there are things you can do ahead of time to ensure your system is as healthy as possible when upsets occur.
- Increase nutrient feed rates to maintain sufficient nutrient residuals. Typically these residuals should be 0.3-0.5 for both nitrogen and phosphorus in an aerated stabilization basin and 0.5-1.0 for an activated sludge system. Nutrient residuals must be measured in the active form of nitrogen and phosphorus or as ammonia with phosphate as orthophosphate. Nutrients are necessary for bacterial reproduction and thus nutrient requirements increase when BOD loading increases. With proper nutrient control, your system is more robust and won’t require as much time to gear up when an upset does occur. This is particularly important in the winter months when bacteria multiply at a slower rate. Increasing nutrient feed rates during an upset to maintain nutrient residuals is important in maintaining a healthy biomass. MacroGroTM blends of nutrient supplied by Environmental Business Specialists provide a customized blend of nitrogen and phosphorus to meet the specific nutrient percentage needs for your mill. Changes in the nitrogen to phosphorus blend percentage can occur due to seasonal needs or due to changes in the incoming Wastewater Treatment water as a result of furnish changes or other system/chemistry changes upstream. Continue Reading »
On June 24, 2010, EBS acquired five sand samples from the Louisiana coast. The purpose of the study was to test the extent of oil degradation in sand with bioaugmentation. Three of the sand samples were contaminated with oil and the remaining two samples were clean. Each of the sand samples was initially tested for oil & grease by direct n-hexane extraction. The three oil contaminated samples were then combined as a composite sample, as were the two clean sand samples. Both composites were tested for initial oil and grease content before bioaugmentation studies began. Samples were split into eight trays and each treated with different amounts of nutrients, bioaugmentation and surfactants over a period of six weeks. Once a week during the six week study, each sample was tested for oil and grease composition and nutrient content. Continue Reading »
Commercial bacteria have been used for almost thirty years to address a myriad of wastewater problems including poor BOD reduction, excessive solids carryover, problems related to toxic materials, and odors. Products were applied in various forms, including powders, liquid concentrates, solids blocks, and even crop dusted over the pond. In each case, the amount of bacteria added is based on the manufacturer’s specified concentration, usually reported as cfu (colony forming units or bacteria) per milliliter or gram. Consequently, the cost effectiveness of the product applications is often less than desirable. However, bacterial products offer the customer one feature no other chemical additive does—the ability to multiply on-site prior to application.
By utilizing specially formulated bacterial blends and growth media cultivated in a patent-pending Bacteria Acceleration Chamber (BAC Unit), the amount of active cultures applied can be increased 100 – 1000 fold. The result is a greater chance of success at an affordable cost.
The Products: EBS produces a line of custom formulated bacterial blends specifically designed for on-site grow up. These products contain selected bacteria blended with growth media and micronutrients designed to address the toughest wastewater problems. Not just bugs and bran, EBS MicroStarTM and BioStarTM formulations are the result of four years of R&D focused on producing a product that can be ―grown up‖ on site. The result is a product that multiplies up to 1000x in 24 hours. Continue Reading »
