Process for treating sewage and other contaminated waters

Abstract

Abstract SEWAGE AND OTHER CHEMICALLY IMPURE WATERS ARE MADE CLEANER BY A PROCESS WHICH INVOLVES THE REMOVAL OR EXTRACTION FROM THE WATER OF VARIOUS CONTAIMINANTS BY THE CONTROLLED GROWTH OF SELECTED MICROORGANISMS USING THE SEWAGE OR OTHER IMPURE WATER AS THE BASIC GROWTH SUBSTRATE. THE MICROORGANISMS (BOTH AS THE INOCULANT AND AS THE GROWTH PRODUCT) ARE ISOLATED FROM THE SEWAGE OR OTHER CONTAMINATED WATER BY MEANS OF A POROUS MEMBRANE OR BARRIER OR RESTRICTED PORE SIZE (E.G. 0.8-2 MICRONS). THESE PORES ARE LARGE ENOUGH TO PERMIT MOLECULES OF THE CONTAMINANTS TO PASS THROUGH OR PENETRATE THE POROUS BARRIER TO THEREBY CONTACT ANDBE ACTED UPON OR ASSIMILATED BY THE MICROORGANISMS. THESE PORES ARE SMALL ENOUGH TO PREVENT THE LARGE SCALE ESCAPE OR MASS MIGRATION OF THE MICROORGANISM THROUGH THE MEMBRANE INTO THE CONTAMINATED WATER. AS A RESULT OF THE PROCESS, ONE OR MORE CONTAMINANTS IN THE WASTE WATER ARE CONSUMED IN THE MICROBIAL METABOLISM OR GROWTH PROCESS, THEREBY MAKING THE WATER CLEANER.

Inventors

• 👤 Joseph E Uridil

Bibliographic Details